7? 


AND  LETTERS 


\(    \K\    VAN  Hi  I  AER 


XX? 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS 


OF 


Priest  of  the  Society  of  Jesus 


HV    TIIK 


REV.  EDWARD  P.  SPILLANE,  SJ. 


D     H'llloN,    UKM-KH    AM)    KM.AIII.KH 


I  III.     \\1I.KK  A    I'KKSS 

NEW  YORK 

1912 


COPYRIGHT,     1912, 

BY  THE 
AMERICA  PRESS 


To  THE  MEN 
FOLLOWERS,  PENITENTS  AND  FRIENDS 

OF  A  NOBLE  PRIEST 

\Viio  SPENT  HIS  LIFE 

I\  PROMOTING  THEIR  SPIRITUAL  WELFARE 

THIS  TRIBUTE 
To  THEIR  FAITHFUL  "FATHER  VAN" 

is 
RESPECTFULLY  INSCRIBED. 


ttibtl  Qbstat : 
REMIGIUS   LAFORT,   S.T.L. 

Censor  Deputatus. 


Imprimatur: 

JOANNES   M.   FARLEY 

Archieplscopus    Neo-Eboraccnsis. 


N-.0-F.BORACI, 

die  4  Octohris,  1908. 


INTRODUCTION   TO   SECOND   EDITION 

THE  present  edition  of  this  book  does  not  differ  mate- 
rially from  the  first.  Attention,  however,  may  be 
called  to  the  development  of  that  portion  which  treats  of 
Father  Van  Rensselaer's  public  life.  When  the  "Life  and 
Letters"  was  first  published  it  was  felt  that  a  fuller  presen- 
tation of  Father  Van  Rensselaer's  career  in  the  priesthood 
was  desirable, — a  desideratum  which  kindly  criticism  has 
also  pointed  out.  This  deficiency,  it  is  hoped,  has  now  been 
made  up.  It  is  obvious  that  to  gather  details  covering  so 
wide  a  field  and  so  many  activities  requires  time,  to  say 
nothing  of  opportunity.  The  interval  since  his  death  has 
supplied  the  time,  and  opportunity  has  been  sought  indus- 
triously. Moreover,  four  years  have  given  the  necessary 
l>erspective,  enabling  one  to  sift  what  was  well  authenticated 
and  characteristic  from  what  had  undergone  a  process  of 
development  and  consequent  exaggeration  in  going  the 
rounds  of  charitable  gossip.  The  crcscit  cundo  of  the  poet 
plays  strange  freaks  with  truth  as  well  as  with  falsehood. 
Nothing  has  been  accepted  which  has  not  been  obtained  at 
first  hand.  The  chapter  on  the  Novitiate  has  been  supple- 
mented by  a  precious  letter  from  one  of  his  fellow  novices. 
This  and  a  letter  addressed  from  the  Scholasticate  to  a 
relative  who  had  joined  a  religious  Sisterhood,  are  the  only 
additions  to  the  story  of  this  |>eri(xl.  The  chapter  on  the 
Tertianship  has  been  re-written;  so,  too,  his  excursions  into 
the  field  of  literature  as  a  member  of  The  Messenger  staff. 
As  to  the  rest,  a  chapter  has  been  inserted  giving  the  letters 
to  his  mother  separately,  with  a  word  or  two  about  the 

v 


INTRODUCTION   TO  THE  SECOND   EDITION 

character  of  one  who  was  not  only  so  dear  to  him,  but  with 
whom  he  preserved  unbroken  intercourse  during  the  latter 
years  of  her  life.  Several  new  chapters  are  devoted  to  the 
recital  of  incidents  which  enable  us  to  see  the  faithful  priest 
in  the  general  work  of  the  ministry,  while  his  dealings  with 
the  policemen  and  firemen,  which  consumed  a  large  portion 
of  his  time,  are  practically  now  told  for  the  first  time.  The 
story  of  the  Xavier  Club  has  likewise  been  expanded  and 
an  omission  supplied  respecting  his  work  in  the  hospitals. 
These  additions  and  details  set  in  clearer  outline  the  features 
of  his  priestly  career  which  were  only  roughly  sketched 
l>e  fore. 

Perhaps  it  may  not  be  deemed  out  of  place  here  to  ac- 
knowledge the  grateful  appreciation  with  which  this  memoir 
of  Father  Van  Rensselaer  has  been  received.  Many  have 
found  in  it  a  help  in  their  efforts  towards  a  higher  spiritual 
life,  many  too,  an  inspiration  to  follow  unreservedly  whither 
grace  leads. 

The  writer  expresses  the  hope  that  those  who  have  seen 
the  faithful  portrayal  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer  in  his  own 
letters  will  derive  new  pleasure  from  the  picture  of  the 
priest  in  action  as  exhibited  in  the  narratives  of.  those  who 
had  the  rare  privilege  of  knowing  him  in  the  ministry. 


VI 


INTRODUCTORY 

A  WORD  of  explanation  as  to  the  sources  from  which 
this  life  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer  has  been  drawn 
may  not  be  amiss. 

The  story  of  the  early  history  of  the  patroons  is  found  in 
the  Miigucine  of  American  History,  in  an  exhaustive  paper 
on  "The  Van  Rensselaer  Manor,"  contributed  by  the  editor, 
Martha  J.  Lamb.  Further  details  have  been  gleaned  from 
a  carefully  written  article  which  appeared  some  years  ago 
in  the  columns  of  the  New  York  Sun. 

'Hie  story  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer's  conversion  is  told 
in  an  autobiographical  sketch  found  among  his  papers  after 
his  death.  This  sketch  is  particularly  valuable  as  revealing 
the  inner  workings  of  his  soul,  his  habits  of  thought  and 
temperament,  the  motives  actuating  his  conduct,  the  long 
and  arduous  search  for  the  truth,  and  the  happiness  with 
which  his  soul  was  filled  when  he  found  himself  at  last,  as 
he  says,  "over  the  wall,  and  safe  in  the  bosom  of  the  One 
True  Church." 

It  must  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  the  sketch  was 
written  a  quarter  of  a  century  after  most  of  the  events  re- 
corded therein.  It  is  unquestionably  a  faithful  account  of 
what  happened  at  that  time  so  far  as  memory  served  him. 
Due  allowance,  therefore,  should  be  made  for  the  disturbed 
condition  of  a  mind  at  a  period  when  it  was  going  through 
most  harrowing  experiences;  "for,"  to  quote  Cardinal 
Newman,  "who  can  know  himself,  and  the  subtle  influences 
which  act  upon  him?  and  who  can  recollect,  at  the  distance 
of  twenty-five  years,  all  that  he  once  knew  about  his 

vii 


INTRODUCTORY 

thoughts  and  his  deeds,  and  that,  during  a  portion  of  his 
life,  when  even  at  the  time  his  observation,  whether  of  him- 
self or  of  the  external  world,  was  less  than  before  or  after, 
by  very  reason  of  the  perplexity  and  dismay  which  weighed 
upon  him, — when,  though  it  would  be  most  unthankful  to 
imply  that  he  had  not  all-sufficient  light  amid  his  darkness, 
yet  a  darkness  it  emphatically  was?"* 

The  autobiographical  sketch  was  originally  written  in  the 
first  person  and  was  reproduced  verbatim  in  the  pages  of 
The  Messenger.  As  incorporated  in  this  life,  the  form 
has  been  somewhat  changed.  Facts  have  been  separated 
from  opinions,  the  narration  of  events  detached  from  the 
discussion  of  religion,  in  the  belief  that  the  logical  processes 
which  led  to  Father  Van  Rensselaer's  conversion  would 
stand  out  in  bolder  relief,  and  the  sketch  be  more  in  keeping 
with  the  requirements  of  a  biography.  So  the  first  person 
has  been  retained,  as  a  rule,  only  when  he  describes  his 
mental  attitude.  The  letters  from  Oxford  were  an  unex- 
pected find.  Father  Van  Rensselaer  up  to  the  day  of  his 
death  never  suspected  their  existence.  The  friend  to  whom 
they  were  written  thought  they  had  been  destroyed  and  dis- 
covered them  only  after  a  repeated  and  prolonged  search. 
They  will  be  found  in  almost  every  particular  remarkably 
corroborative  of  the  later  narrative,  and  give  very  interest- 
ing information  on  the  daily  life  of  a  student  and  the  char- 
acter of  the  Dons  at  the  University  of  Oxford.  The  por- 
traits given  of  Dr.  Liddon  and  Dr.  King  will  be  appre- 
ciated by  those  who  are  at  all  interested  in  the  more  recent 
history  of  Oxford.  After  the  withdrawal  of  Newman  from 
the  classic  halls  of  the  University  and  from  the  historic  pul 

*Apologia,  N.  Y.,  1865,  p.   134. 

viii 


INTRODUCTORY 

pit  of  St.  Mary's,  Oxford  might  well  be  termed  a  Gty  of 
Confusion,  and  these  letters,  though  covering  only  the  short 
period  of  a  single  year,  give  a  very  fair  insight  into  the 
topsy-turvy  condition  of  affairs  prevailing  there  a  genera- 
tion later.  In  editing  them,  much  had  to  be  omitted,  as  it 
was  of  a  character  too  personal  for  publication.  Attention 
may  well  be  called  to  the  marvellous  contrast  prevailing  be- 
tween the  letters  from  Oxford  and  those  written  after 
Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  received  into  the  Church  and 
enrolled  among  the  members  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  The 
same  man  speaks  in  both,  but  in  the  earlier  ones  he  is  har- 
assed by  doubt  and  misgivings,  in  the  later  his  mind  and 
heart  are  both  at  rest  and  in  the  possession  of  perfect  peace. 
The  biographer  has  only  a  word  to  add.  His  work  in 
piecing  together  the  narrative  has  been  a  work  of  love. 
During  twenty-eight  years  he  knew  Father  Van  Rensselaer 
intimately,  and  was  associated  with  him  as  a  student  of 
philosophy  and  theology,  as  a  professor  in  college,  as  a 
priest  in  the  ministry.  The  reminiscences  covering  that 
period  are  for  the  most  part  personal,  and  on  that  account, 
it  is  hoped,  will  the  better  fill  out  the  portrait  of  his  friend, 
which  is  outlined  in  the  autobiographical  sketch  and  in  the 
letters  which  appear  in  the  volume.  The  writer  makes 
grateful  acknowledgment  to  the  sister  of  Father  Van  Rens- 
selaer, in  religion  Sister  Dolores,  for  invaluable  assistance 
by  furnishing  letters  and  biographical  data;  to  Father 
l-'rancis  Mackall  of  Midland,  Maryland,  for  the  Oxford  let- 
ters, and  to  Father  Wynne  and  Father  Campbell  of  The 
Messenger  staff. 

EDWARD  P.  SPILLANE,  S.J. 


IX 


CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION     .      .      .     .     vii 
INTRODUCTORY •„      ...      ix 

CHAPTER  PACE 

I  ANCESTRY  AND  FAMILY  LIFE       .  1 

II  BOYHOOD  AND  EARLY  LIFE 12 

III  GENERAL    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY,    NEW 

YORK 17 

IV  GERMANY  AND  OXFORD 24 

V  LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 37 

VI  LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD    (Continued)     .      .       84 

VII  ANGLICAN  DEACON      .  122 

VIII  His  CONVERSION    .     .     ......     129 

IX  A  CATHOLIC 142 

X  THE  JESUIT  NOVICE   .      ...      .      .      .     152 

XI  LETTERS  TO  His  MOTHER 1G4 

XII  WOODSTOCK  COLLEGE .191 

XIII  THE  CLASS  ROOM  ........     218 

XIV  ORDAINED  A  PRIEST .228 

XV  BEGINS  His  MINISTRY •-'!•: 

XVI  THE  TERTIANSHIP       .      ...      .      .      .  •-'.">'• 

XVII  MESSENGER  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART  .      .      .  2G1 

XVIII  THE  XAVIER  CLUB       . 270 

XIX  WORKS  OF  ZEAL .278 

XX  IN  THE  MINISTRY 285 

XXI  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  MISSION   .      .      .      .      .  298 

XXII  VARIOUS  SOCIETIES— THE  POLICE     .      .      .  302 

XXIII  WITH  THE  FIRE  LADDIES 309 

XXIV  LAST  ILLNESS  AND  DEATH  321 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FACING  PAGE 

HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER,  SJ       ....   Frontispiece 

COL.  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 8 

HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER  IN  BOYHOOD     ....  14 

HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER  AT  OXFORD     ....  60 

IFFLEY  CHURCH,  OXFORD 88 

CHRIST  CHURCH  CATHEDRAL,  OXFORD   .      .      .      .  112 

REV.  JOHN  PRENDERGAST,  SJ 150 

JESUIT  NOVITIATE,  ROEHAMPTON,  FN<.I..\NI>     .      .  in.s 
ELIZABETH   RAY  KING,   MOTHER  OF   RKV.    HI.NKY 

VAN  RENSSELAER 180 

CHURCH  OF  ST.  FRANCIS  XAVIER,  NEW  YORK  CITY  252 

LITTLE  ONES  OF  NAZARETH  DAY  NI'RSERY  270 


XI 


CHAPTER  I. 
ANCESTRY  AND  FAMILY. 

THE  name  of  Van  Rensselaer  has  always  been  a  familiar 
one  in  the  history  of  the  Empire  State.  The  family 
representatives  bore  the  ancient  Dutch  title  of  Patroon,  and 
in  the  days  of  English  ascendancy  in  America  that  of  Lord 
of  the  Manor.  Their  titles  fell  into  disuse  during  the  RJCVO- 
lution,  but  their  vast  holdings  in  land  remained  until  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  their  family  and  social 
distinction  down  to  the  present  day. 

The  founder  of  the  family  in  America  was  Kilian  Van 
Rensselaer.  He  was  born  in  1595,  and  was  a  descendant  of 
a  long  line  of  worthy  citizens  of  Amsterdam.  The  manor 
from  which  the  family  took  its  name  is  still  called  Rensse- 
laer, and  is  situated  about  three  miles  southeast  of  Nykerk 
in  Holland.  It  was  originally  an  estate  the  possession  of 
which  conferred  nobility. 

Kilian  Van  Rensselaer  took  an  active  part  in  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Dutch  West  India  Company,  furnishing  the  cor- 
poration with  ships  of  his  own  and  more  than  once  advanc- 
ing money  to  save  its  credit.  He  also  sent  an  agent  to  trade 
with  the  Indians  for  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson 
River  from  twelve  miles  south  of  Albany  to  Smacks  Island, 
"stretching  two  days  into  the  interior,"  and  eventually  ef- 
fected the  purchase  of  all  the  land  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  lx>th  north  and  south  of  Fort  Orange,  and  "far  into 
the  wilderness."  This  great  feudal  demesne,  which  com- 
prised the  present  counties  of  Albany,  Columbia  and  Rens- 

1 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

selaer,  received  the  name  of  Rensselaerswyck.  The  estate 
was  forty-eight  miles  long  and  twenty-four  miles  wide, 
while  the  Hudson  divided  it  into  two  equal  parts.  It  could 
not  have  been  situated  more  advantageously,  as  the  waters 
of  the  Hudson  connected  with  the  Atlantic  and,  through  the 
Mohawk,  with  the  great  waterways  of  the  North  and  West. 

Van  Ransselaer  established  his  manor  house  at  the  con- 
fluence of  the  two  rivers,  a  position  which,  at  a  time  when 
the  knowledge  of  the  geography  of  America  scarcely  ex- 
tended beyond  its  coastline,  might  have  been  justly  looked 
upon  as  the  key  to  the  whole  continent.  Upon  the  territory 
once  forming  this  great  estate  have  since  sprung  up  thriving 
towns  and  villages,  and  cities  like  Albany,  Troy,  Rensselaer 
and  Schenectady. 

Kilian  Van  Rensselaer  sent  over  sturdy  settlers  with  their 
families,  servants  and  household  goods.  His  colony  grew 
and  prospered,  the  soil  was  tilled,  comfortable  houses  were 
built,  schools  and  churches  founded,  and  order  and  method 
established  everywhere.  He  died  in  1644.  Strange  to  say, 
there  is  no  record  of  his  ever  having  visited  America. 

It  would  make  interesting  reading  to  follow  the  fortunes 
of  the  successive  patroons  who  ruled  over  Rensselaerswyck. 
Few  of  them  there  were  who  did  not  leave  an  impression  on 
the  political,  social  or  military  history  of  their  time. 

Jan  Baptist  Van  Rensselaer,  the  third  patroon,  was  a  half 
brother  of  his  predecessor,  Johannes.  The  latter  had  once 
or  twice  visited  his  great  possessions  in  New  York,  but  he, 
too.  for  the  most  part  resided  in  Holland.  In  1658  Jan 
Baptist  also  returned  to  Holland,  where  he  ended  his  days. 

Conspicuous  in  the  family  was  .a  clergyman,  the  Rev. 
Nicholaus  Van  Rensselaer,  the  eighth  child  of  the  first  pa- 
troon and  brother  of  the  second.  He  had  been  licensed  by 

2 


ANCESTRY  AND  FAMILY 

Charles  I  to  preach  in  the  Dutch  Church  at  Westminster, 
and,  recommended  by  James,  Duke  of  York,  he  came  ro 
New  York  to  fill  one  of  the  Dutch  pulpits  in  the  Province. 
The  dominie  died  in  Albany,  and  his  widow  married  Rob- 
ert Livingston,  the  founder  of  the  Livingston  family  in 
America. 

Jeremias,  the  next  director  of  Rensselaerswyck,  and 
brother  to  Jan  Baptist,  was  deservedly  popular  for  his 
prudent  management  of  affairs  during  sixteen  years.  He 
acquired  great  influence  among  the  Indians  and  won  the 
respect  of  the  French  in  Canada.  His  correspondence, 
which  is  still  extant,  evinces  no  little  native  talent  as  well  as 
enormous  industry.  His  autograph  is  remarkable  for  its 
l>eauty  and  is  one  of  the  most  characteristic  to  be  found  in 
the  records  of  the  century.  He  was  president  of  the  Land- 
tag, or  Diet,  which  five  months  before  the  surrender  of  the 
province  to  the  English  had  been  summoned  to  New  York 
to  discuss  the  affairs  of  the  colony.  When  the  English  came 
into  possession  of  New  York,  he  declined  to  cede  to  the  new 
government  the  town  of  Albany,  which  he  claimed  as  a  part 
of  Rensselaerswyck.  After  portracted  negotiation,  Gov- 
ernor Dongan  in  person  visited  the  patroon,  and  obtained 
from  him  a  formal  concession  of  his  feudal  right  over  the 
miniature  capital  of  the  future  State,  along  with  sixteen 
miles  of  territory  extending  into  the  country  westward.  In 
the  following  year,  1686,  Albany  was  incorporated  as  a 
city. 

Jeremias'  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Oloff  Stevenson  Van 
Courtlandt,  the  first  of  the  family  of  that  name  in  New 
York ;  their  daughter.  Maria  Van  Rensselaer,  married  Peter 
Schuyler.  the  first  Mayor  of  Albany. 

Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  IH.  »he  last  of  the  patroons,  and 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

perhaps  the  most  distinguished  in  that  long  line  of  dis- 
tinguished men,  was  destined  to  bridge  the  chasm  which 
existed  between  two  opposite  political  systems.  Born  in 
1764,  the  subject  of  a  King  and  the  scion  of  a  feudal  aris- 
tocracy, with  immense  inherited  estates  and  chartered  baro- 
nial rights,  he  favored  from  the  first  the  new  political  sys- 
tem in  America,  and  was  one  of  the  staunchest  upholders  of 
popular  sovereignty.  His  father  having  died,  he  was  edu- 
cated by  his  grandfather,  Philip  Livingston,  who  was  one  of 
the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  In  due 
course  he  was  graduated  from  Harvard  with  high  honors. 
Before  he  was  of  age,  he  married  Margaret,  the  daughter  of 
General  Philip  Schuyler,  thus  transmitting  to  his  posterity 
the  blood  of  five  of  the  great  Colonial  families,  Schuyler, 
Livingston,  Van  Courtlandt,  Ten  Broek,  and  Van  Rensse- 
laer.  After  his  graduation,  he  kept  up  his  studies  and  per- 
sonally managed  his  large  estates.  In  the  period  succeeding 
the  Revolutionary  War,  no  man  in  the  State  carried  with 
him  greater  personal  influence.  He  was  a  friend  of  Wash- 
ington, and  was  successively  a  member  of  the  Assembly  and 
of  the  State  Senate,  as  well  as  twice  Lieutenant  Governor  of 
the  State,  when  John  Jay  was  Governor.  In  the  war  of 
1812,  when  Governor  Tompkins  summoned  the  State  Mili- 
tia into  immediate  service,  Van  Rensselaer  was  appointed  to 
take  chief  command ;  nor  did  he  hesitate  to  leave  his  lux- 
urious home  and  march  to  the  frontier  with  the  utmost  dis- 
patch. Among  his  officers  were  many  of  his  kinsmen, 
notably  Colonel  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  who  was  wound- 
ed at  the  battle  of  Queenstown  Heights. 

After  the  war  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  entered  heart  and 
soul  into  every  project  which  he  considered  advantageous 
to  the  State.  He  declared  his  willingness  to  construct,  at 

4 


ANCESTRY  AND  FAMILY 

his  own  expense,  the  whole  of  the  Erie  Canal,  so  confident 
was  he  of  the  feasibility  of  the  enterprise.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Congress  from  1822  to  18^t>,  and  cast  the  deciding 
vote  in  the  election  of  John  Quincy  Adams  to  the  Presi- 
dency of  the  Republic.  Dining  all  these  years  he  was  Re- 
gent of  the  University  of  the  State,  and  subsequently  be- 
came its  Chancellor. 

His  wife  dying,  he  married  again,  his  second  wife  being 
Cornelia  Paterson,  daughter  of  Judge  William  Paterson, 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  who  had  also  been  Governor  of  New 
Jersey  and  one  of  its  first  two  Senators. 

In  1824  he  established,  and  in  1826  incorporated,  the  first 
scientific  school  in  the  New  World,  and  he  defrayed  fully 
one-half  its  current  expenses.  His  own  words,  which  he 
put  in  the  charter,  show  how  far  he  was  ahead  of  the  times : 
"A  school  to  qualify  teachers  to  instruct  in  the  application 
of  experimental  chemistry,  philosophy  and  natural  history, 
to  agriculture,  domestic  economy  and  to  the  arts  and  manu- 
factures." This  school,  now  known  as  the  Rensselaer  Poly- 
technic Institute  of  Troy,  will  always  be  a  memorial  to  the 
philanthropy,  far-sightedness,  and  statesmanship  of  its 
founder.  In  1825,  Yale  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of 
LL.D. 

Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  III  left  twelve  children,  three  by 
his  first  and  nine  by  his  second  wife.  Of  these,  Stephen 
Van  Rensselaer  IV,  usually  referred  to  as  the  Young  Pa- 
troon,  was  the  eldest.  To  him  had  descended  the  bulk  of  the 
great  Van  Rensselaer  estate  or  plantation,  and  by  him, 
through  i>olitical  causes,  it  was  dissipated  forever.  Al- 
though his  father  was  legally  the  last  of  the  patroons,  yet 
the  people  of  his  time,  by  common  consent,  gave  him  that 
title,  and  as  such  he  will  go  down  to  history. 

5 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

The  father  of  the  future  Rev.  Henry  Van  Rensselaer  was 
General  Henry  Van  Rensselaer,  brother  of  Stephen  IV,  and 
fifth  son  of  Stephen  III.  He,  too,  holds  a  distinguished 
place  in  the  civil  and  military  history  of  his  time.  A  grad- 
uate of  West  Point  in  1827,  he  served  later  as  lieutenant  in 
the  United  States  Army.  In  1841  he  was  sent  to  Congress, 
and  during  the  Civil  War  he  held  the  rank  of  Colonel  while 
Chief  of  Staff  to  General  Scott,  upon  whose  retirement,  in 
November,  1861,  he  was  made  Inspector  General  of  the 
United  States  Army.  He  died  of  typhoid  fever  just  before 
the  close  of  the  war.  The  following  sketch  appeared  in  a 
New  York  paper  shortly  after  his  death  :— 

"Colonel  Henry  Van  Rensselaer,  Inspector  General  of 
the  United  States  Army,  died  on  Wednesday,  March  23d, 
of.  typhoid  fever,  at  Cincinnati,  where  he  was  stationed. 

"Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  was  graduated  from  the  Mili- 
tary Academy  at  West  Point  in  1831,  having  passed  through 
the  four  years'  discipline  of  that  school  without  incurring  a 
single  demerit.  This  fact  indicates  the  character  of  the 
man — an  ever-present  sense  of  duty,  which  would  not  per- 
mit the  neglect  of  an  obligation  once  assumed.  Though 
young  when  entering  the  Academy,  he  formed  and  held  res- 
olutely to  the  purpose  of  complying  in  all  respects,  as  far 
as  possible,  with  its  requirements.  The  writer  dwells  the 
more  upon  this  rare  trait  of  character,  for  that  he  had  a  son 
at  the  Military  Academy  at  the  time,  whose  good  fortune  it 
was  to  become  the  room-mate  of  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer, 
and  who  there  acquired  from  his  example  that  love  of  order, 
that  diligence  of  application,  that  fidelity  to  the  most  mi- 
nute as  well  as  the  more  important  details  of  duty,  which  go 
so  far  to  make  up  the  character  of  a  useful  and  trustworthy 

6 


ANCESTRY  AND  FAMILY 

man,  whether  soldier  or  citizen.  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  did 
not  remain  long  in  the  Army,  and  having  married  in  1833  a 
daughter  of  Hon.  J.  A.  King,  of  Jamaica,  L.  I.,  he  went  to 
take  possession  of  a  patrimonial  landed  estate  in  St.  Law- 
rence County,  where  he  spent  many  years  in  the  active  pur- 
suits of  agriculture,  and  dispensing  a  liberal  and  elegant 
hospitality. 

"In  1841  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives from  his  district,  and  served  with  his  accustomed 
punctuality  and  diligence  through  the  three  sessions  of  the 
27th  Congress.  Political  life,  however,  had  few  attractions 
for  him,  and  he  returned  willingly  to  his  home  and  his  ac- 
customed occupations. 

"For  some  years  past,  however,  and  as  his  family  grew 
up,  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  had  been  an  inhabitant  of  this  city, 
where  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  found  him  in  quiet  and 
retired  private  life.  But  when  the  Rebel  cannon  against 
Fort  Sumter  aroused  our  Northern  blood  and  national  fidel- 
ity, true  to  his  early  training  as  a  soldier,  and  to  his  instincts 
as  a  patriot,  he  at  once  wrote  to  General  Scott,  then  in  com- 
mand of  our  forces,  to  ask  for  an  opportunity,  as  a  soldier 
educated  by  the  Nation,  to  strike  a  blow  for  the  national 
cause.  The  General  immediately  sent  for  him  to  Washing- 
ton, took  him  into  his  military  family,  and  with  the  rank  of 
Brigadier-General,  made  him  chief  of  his  staff. 

"Of  this  position  he  faithfully  and  intelligently  discharged 
the  duties  until  the  relinquishment  by  General  Scott,  under 
the  pressure  of  physical  infirmities,  of  his  high  command. 
Upon  the  recommendation  of  his  general,  however,  the 
commission  of  inspector-general  in  the  Regular  Army,  with 
the  rank  of  colonel,  was  at  once  conferred  by  the  Presi- 
dent upon  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer.  In  the  duties  of  that 

7 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

post  he  has  ever  since  been  assiduously  engaged,  and  to  them 
he,  in  fact,  yielded  up  his  life — refusing,  though  laboring 
under  illness,  to  ask  for  a  furlough — while  the  official  calls 
upon  him  were  urgent. 

"The  insidious  disease  made  rapid  progress.  Informed  of 
his  serious  illness — yet  not  apprehending  imminent  danger, 
his  wife  and  daughter  hurried  to  Cincinnati,  but  only  had 
the  consolation  of  ministering  by  his  dying  bed. 

"He  was  aware  of  his  approaching  death,  and  prepared 
for  it  as  a  Christian  soldier.  In  his  last  delirious  moments 
his  mind  still  ran  upon  his  public  duties — upon  the  condition 
of  the  troops — upon  the  progress  of  the  war — and  he  died 
in  the  cause  of  his  country,  an  earnest  and  unblemished 
soldier." 

A  summary  of  his  life  and  services,  in  Father  Van  Rens- 
selaer's  handwriting,  is  preserved  among  the  family  papers. 
It  reads  like  a  page  taken  from  the  records  of  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point. 

U.  S.  MILITARY  ACADEMY. 

NUMBER  CLASS  RANK 

G48.    Born  N.  Y.    Henry  Van  Rensselaer.    Ap'd  N.  Y.  20 
Military  History. — Cadet  at  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy, 
from  July  1,  1827,  to  July  1,  1831,  when  he  was  gradu- 
ated and  promoted  in  the  Army  to 

Bvt.  Second  Lieut.,  5th  Infantry,  July    1.    ls:',l.     On 
leave  of  absence  July  1,  1831,  to  Jan.  27,  l«s:;:J. 

Resigned  Jan.  27,  1832. 

Civil  History. — Farmer,  near  Ogdcnsburg,  X.  Y.,  1s-".  I -:..".. 
Aide-de-Camp  with  the  rank  of  Colonel  to  Governor 
Seward,  of  New  York,  1839-40. 

8 


LUl..  4iENK\    VAN   RENSSELAER 


ANCESTRY  AND  FAMILY 

Member  uf  the  U.  S.  House  of  Representatives,  from 
the  State  of  New  York,  1841-4 

1 'resilient  of  the  American  Mineral  Company — of  the 
Tort  Henry  Iron  Ore  Company — and  of  the  Consolidated 
Franklinite  Company,  1855 -• 

Militar\  History. — Served  during  the  Rebellion  of  the  Se- 
ceding States,  IN;I-«;-|  :  as  Volunteer  Aide-de-Camp,  with 
the  rank  of  Colonel,  April  2l>  to  Aug.  5,  1861,  and  as 
Regular  Aide-de-Camp,  Aug.  5,  1801,  to  Nov.  1,  18(51. 

(Col.  Staff — Aide-de-Camp  to  the  General-in-Chief, 
Aug.  5,  1861.) 

Bvt.   Lieut.,   General   Scott,   General-in-Chief,   at   the ' 
Headquarters  of  the  Army,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  on  leave 
of  absence  and  awaiting  orders,  Nov.  12. 

(Colonel  Staff — Inspector  General.  Xov.  1:.',  1861.) 

1861,  to  Mar.  20,  1862— as  I nspector .  General,  1st 
Army  Corps. 

Mar.  20  to  Apl.  4,  1862 — Department  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock. 

.  Apl.  4,  to  Aug.  12,  18U2— :id  Army  Corps,  Aug.  12  to 
Sept.  6,  1862,  and  Department  of  the  Ohio,  Sept.   17, 

•2,  to  Mar.  23,  1864. 

Died  Mar.  23,  1864,  at  Cincinnati.  O.     Aged  54. 

Among  the  family  treasures  is  an  autograph  letter  ad- 
dressed by  General  Scott  on  his  retirement  from  the  Army 
to  his  Chief  of  Staff.  It  reads  as  follov. 

"Adieu,  my  dear  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer.  No  general 
has  ever  had  greater  cause  to  be  proud  of  his  staff  than  I 
have  had  in  you  and  my  other  dear  friends.  Colonels  Town- 
send,  Hamilton,  Cullen  and  Wright — all  dear  friends. 

"Nov.  9,  1861.  WINTIKI.I)  Scon." 

e 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

If  he  was  beholden  to  his  father  for  his  name,  and  for  the 
prestige  which,  even  in  America,  despite  the  open  profession 
of  democracy,  attaches  to  descent  from  one  of  the  great 
Colonial  families,  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  under  still 
greater  indebtedness  to  his  mother,  Elizabeth  King  Van 
Rensselaer,  for  the  kindly  traits  which  were  so  character- 
istic of  him  from  his  earliest  years,  and  which  became  more 
manifest  in  his  apostolic  work  as  a  priest  when  he  was 
brought  into  contact  with  the  poverty-stricken  and  the  un- 
fortunate. 

The  founder  of  the  King  family  in  America,  John  King, 
came  from  Kent,  England,  and  settled  in  Boston  in  1700. 
Later  the  family  moved  to  Scarborough,  Maine,  where  Fa- 
ther Van  Rensselaer's  great  grandfather,  Rufus  King,  was 
born  in  1755.  Graduating  from  Harvard  in  1777,  he  studied 
law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1784.  He  was  elected  to 
the  Continental  Congress  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
convention  which  in  1787  framed  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  .  While  in  New  York  he  married  Mary  Alsop, 
the  only  daughter  of  a  prominent  New  York  merchant,  and 
for  his  wife's  sake  determined  to  live  near  her  father. 

He  became  a  Senator  of  the  United  States  in  1789,  the 
first  Senator  elected  from  the  State  of  New  York,  was  re- 
elected  in  1795,  and  in  the  following  year  was  by  President 
Washington  appointed  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  Great 
Britain. 

Besides  the  distinction  of  being  three  times  elected  to  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  and  being  twice  appointed  as 
Minister  to  England,  he  was  at  various  times  the  candidate 
of  his  party  for  the  Governorship  of  New  York,  as  well 
as  for  the  Vice-Presidency  and  Presidency  of  the  Nation ; 
and  although  he  failed  of  election  to  these  high  offices  he 

10 


\\(  I  STRV     \\1>    FAMILY 

was  always  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  statesmen  and 
diplomats  of  his  time.  Even  his  political  opponents  had 
Mich  respect  for  his  moral  worth  and  integrity  that  they 
made  him  their  candidate  for  the  Senatorial  dignity,  when 
his  own  party  could  not  have  effected  his  election. 

John  Alsop  King,  eldest  son  of  Rufus,  and  grandfather 
of  Henry  Van  Rensselaer,  was  a  native  of  New  York  City, 
where  he  was  born  in  1788.  During  his  youth  he  accom- 
panied his  father  to  England  when  the  latter  was  Minister 
to  the  Court  of  St.  James,  and  while  there  attended  school 
at  Harrow.  Among  his  schoolmates  were  his  brother 
Charles,  afterwards  president  of  Columbia  College,  New 
York,  Lord  Byron,  Sir  Robert  Peel  and  other  men  of  prom- 
inence. * 

1  le  held  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  during  the  war  of  1812, 
and  in  1825  was  Secretary  of  Legation  at  London  under 
his  father.  He  was  several  times  elected  to  the  State  Legis- 
lature, was  a  member  of  Congress  in  1849-51,  and  Governor 
of  the  State  in  At  the  expiration  of  his  term,  he 

returned  to  his  home,  in  the  village  of  Jamaica,  Long  Island, 
where  he  died  July  8,  1867,  in  his  80th  year.  John  Alsop 
King  filled  these  many  official  positions  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  honor  to  his  country,  and  during  his  long  career 
never  failed  to  present  to  his  fellow  citizens,  alike  in  his 
public  and  private  life,  a  rare  example  of  benevolence  and 
manlv  virtue. 


11 


CHAPTER    II. 
BOYHOOD  ~AND  EARLY  LIFE. 

HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER,  the  future  Jesuit, 
youngest  but  one  of  ten  children,  was  born  at  Wood- 
ford,  near  Ogdensburg,  October  21,  1851.  His  mother, 
Elizabeth  Ray  King,  was  the  daughter  of  the  Governor 
King  mentioned  in  the  last  chapter.  His  father,  General 
Van  Rensselaer,  was  the  fifth  son  of  the  last  patroon, 
Stephen  III,  who  by  his  will  divided  the  vast  estate  among 
his  children,  bequeathing  to  the  eldest,  Stephen  IV,  the 
manor  on  the  Albany  side  of  the  Hudson,  and  to  the  fifth 
the  wild  lands  in  St.  Lawrence  County  on  the  river  of  that 
name. 

In  this  remote  domain  were  valuable  farm  lands  in  the 
townships  of  Lisbon,  Canton,  etc.,  and  the  county  seat, 
Woodford,  which  was  on  high  ground  overlooking  the 
river.  There  was  a  large  old-fashioned  garden,  with  green- 
houses, graperies  and  an  extensive  farm  .  The  old  colonial 
house  had  been  enlarged  shortly  before  Henry's  birth,  and 
a  billiard  room  and  a  ballroom  were  added  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  summer  guests  and  of  the  townspeople,  who  were 
always  welcome  visitors  to  the  Van  Rensselaer  homestead. 
It  was  an  ideal  home,  and  above  all  a  Christian  home,  where 
each  day  was  opened  with  family  prayers,  and  Sunday  was 
honored  with  the  strictest  observance.  Mrs.  Van  Rensse- 
laer was  the  Lady  Bountiful  of  the  neighborhood,  ever 
ready  to  listen  to  and  relieve  the  wants  of  the  poor.  Indeed, 
during  her  entire  life,  even  when  it  was  no  longer  in  her 

12 


BOYHOOD  AND  EARLY  LIFE 

power  to  give  generously,  she  never  permitted  a  poor  person 
to  be  sent  unaided  from  her  door.  This  tender  love  for 
God's  poor,  inherited  from  her,  was  a  most  striking  trait  in 
the  character  of  her  Jesuit  son. 

Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer's  responsibility  in  rearing  her  large 
family  was  lightened  by  the  devoted  assistance  of  a  nurse 
who  entered  her  service  in  1843  and  remained  a  valued 
member  of  the  household  until  her  death  in  1809.  Monica 
Chapman  was  an  Englishwoman  of  great  native  refinement. 
A  devout  Catholic,  she  never,  by  any  attempt  to  influence 
the  faith  of  her  children,  betrayed  the  perfect  trust  reposed 
in  her  by  her  Protestant  mistress.  She  held  each  in  her 
arms  when  they  were  presented  for  baptism  in  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church,  and  was  faithful  in  seeing  that  they  re- 
cited morning  and  evening  the  little  prayers  taught  them  by 
their  mother.  In  after  years,  when  he  had  found  the  true 
faith  and  was  enrolled  as  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus, 
Father  Van  Rensselaer.  in  conversation  with  intimate 
friends,  would  frequently  speak  of  Monica,  her  piety,  her 
devout  recital  of  the  Rosary  and  the  religious  influence 
she  exercised,  albeit  unwittingly,  in  the  family.  He  had  no 
hesitation  in  ascribing  to  her  prayers  and  to  her  example 
the  special  grace  which  led  him  eventually  to  seek  refuge  in 
the  true  fold. 

When  the  family  moved  to  New  York  City.  Monica  be- 
came a  member  of  St.  Francis  Xavier's  parish,  where,  forty- 
four  years  later,  her  Requiem  Mass  was  sung  by  the  one  of 
her  charges  who  had  been  most  dear  to  her,  and  for  whose 
conversion  many  Masses  and  prayers  had  lx?cn  offered  in 
that  church.  Before  giving  the  absolution.  Father  Van 
Rensselaer  paid  a  touching  tribute  to  the  virtue  ind  fidelity 
nf  his  beloved  nurse. 

13 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

When  he  was  four  years  old,  the  family  came  to  New 
York  City  to  pass  the  winter  months.  Shortly  after  their 
departure  from  Wood  ford  their  country  home  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  and  was  never  rebuilt.  His  childhood  was 
uneventful,  except  that  in  addition  to  the  usual  diseases  of 
children,  he  had  an  attack  of  scarlet  fever  which  threatened 
his  life  and  left  him  of  a  rather  nervous  temperament  and 
delicate  constitution. 

When  he  was  twelve  years  old  his  father  died.  To  this 
calamity  were  added  serious  financial  reverses  owing  to  mis- 
management or  dishonesty  on  the  part  of  a  trusted  agent, 
and  it  became  incumbent  upon  the  boys  of  the  family  to 
provide  for  their  own  temporal  welfare  as  well  as  for  that 
of  those  dependent  upon  them.  Henry  had  received  his 
early  education  at  the  Charlier  Institute,  and  entered  Colum- 
bia College  in  1867 ;  he  did  not  remain  to  graduate,  but 
took  a  clerical  position  in  the  Bank  of  Commerce  in  I860. 

He  was  of  a  religious  turn  of  mind,  and  from  his  tender- 
est  years  felt  an  attraction  for  church  services. 

"As  a  boy,"  he  says,  "I  attended  Grace  Church,  then, 
as  now,  very  fashionable.  But  in  those  days  it  was  of  the 
extremely  Low  Church  type.  The  service  was  dull,  except 
for  the  singing  by  a  celebrated  quartet.  The  minister,  ar- 
rayed in  black  silk  gown  and  Geneva  bands,  preached,  in 
an  almost  unintelligible  voice,  ponderous  and  somnolent  ser- 
mons, duly  read  from  a  manuscript.  In  my  teens  I  longed 
for  a  more  active  part  in  the  service,  and  was  attracted 
to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Communion,  founded  by  Dr. 
Muhlenberg.  where  there  was  a  choir  of  men  and  boys  to 
lead  the  singing,  in  which  the  whole  congregation  took  part. 
It  had,  in  consequence,  the  name  of  being  "High."  but  there- 
was  not  much  advance  in  doctrine.  True,  there  was  an  early 

14 


o 
o 


°o0oooo( 

HENRY  VAN  RENSSFLAKR  IN  BOYHOOD 


BOYHOOD  AND  EARLY  LIFE 

Communion  service,  but  it  was  rather  for  convenience  than 
for  high  teaching.  However,  I  was  on  the  rise  and  began 
the  practice  of  bowing  the  head  at  the  Gloria  Patri,  and  then 
of  kneeling  in  the  Nicene  Creed  at  the  Incarnatus.  I  re- 
member distinctly  that  those  who  did  so  were  publicly  re- 
buked on  Christmas  morning  by  Dr.  Muhlenberg  for  bow- 
ing at  the  doxology,  and  we  were  bidden  not  to  bend  like 
bulrushes,  but  to  hold  our  heads  erect.  My  first  notice  of 
candles  on  an  altar  was  in  this  church.  They  were  used 
tor  light  at  the  early  morning  celebration,  and  once  a  year, 
on  the  feast  of  the  Epiphany,  at  the  evening  missionary 
service,  there  were  thirty-nine  candles  lighted  in  honor 
of  the  thirty-nine  articles  of  religion,  which  the  Ritualists 
slightingly  called  the  forty  stripes  save  one  mentioned  by 
St.  Paul.  In  this  church  I  was  confirmed,  and  of  it  I  was 
a  member  for  over  ten  years.  Then  I  began  to  feel  the 
need  of  something  more  Catholic.  The  doctrines  preached 
in  Trinity  parish,  especially  at  Trinity  Church  and  Trinity 
Chapel,  were  in  those  days  considered  high.  The  rector, 
at  that  time  a  celibate,  was  an  advocate  of  celibacy  and 
virginity.  The  music  was  from  Catholic  sources,  and 
masses  by  celebrated  composers  were  adapted  to  the  Com- 
munion service.  Great  stress  was  laid  on  the  teaching  of 
the  undivided  Church  and  of  the  four  Ecumenical  Councils. 

"The  first  ritualistic  church  in  New  York  was  St.  Alban's. 
The  naming  of  it  was  significant.  It  was  meant  to  insinu- 
ate the  continuity  with  the  ancient  British  Church,  of  which 
St.  Alban  was  the  first  martyr.  Moreover  its  namesake  in 
Ix>ndon  had  been  the  leader  in  ritualism  and  the  storm- 
centre  of  opposition  of  the  officials  of  the  State  Church. 

"St.  Alban's  on  this  side  of  the  water  was  an  exact  imita- 
tion of  a  Catholic  church.  The  minister  dubbed  himself 

15 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

'father'  and  donned  the  habiliments  of  a  priest.  It  was  a 
novelty,  and  sightseers  frequented  the  services.  The  Church 
of  St.  Mary  the  Virgin  was  the  next  to  follow  suit,  and 
offered  all  the  attractions  of  Rome  without  being  Roman. 
St.  Ignatius'  was  the  next  in  the  field,  with  rival  novelties 
from  Rome.  These  were  all  full-blown  ritualistic  churches. 
There  were  others  tending  upward — an  unintentional  tribute 
to  the  true  church,  any  tendency  to  which  is  truly  described 
as  becoming  high. 

"But  ritualism  had  as  yet  no  charm  for  me,  and  I  recall 
my  disgust  at  a  visit  to  the  Oratory  of  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment, which  had  been  opened  by  an  English  clergyman  of 
the  advanced  type,  who  later  became  a  convert  and  a  priest. 
Nor  had  St.  Alban's  any  attractive  power,  and  attendance 
at  one  service  sufficed  for  me;  neither  could  I  abide  St. 
Mary  the  Virgin's." 


1C 


CHAITKK    III. 
GENERAL  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  NEW  YORK. 

IT  had  always  been  the  wish  of  his  family  that  Henry 
should  be  a  clergyman,  but,  as  we  have  said,  the  family 
circumstances  had  to  be  considered.  So,  on  leaving  college, 
he  went  into  business.  This  was  not  his  calling,  though  he 
persevered  in  it  for  several  years.  After  this,  however,  he 
announced  his  intention  of  going  to  the  seminary.  It  was  in 
the  autumn  of  1873  that  he  took  up  his  residence  in  one  of 
the  old  granite  buildings  in  the  grounds  of  the  General 
Theological  Seminary  at  Chelsea  Square.  Here  he  found  a 
wide  divergence  of  views  and  practices  among  the  pro- 
fessors and  students  alike.  The  following  is  his  account  of 
the  conditions  then  existing  in  the  seminary: — 

"There  were  at  that  time  seventy  seminarians,  and,  I 
think,  six  professors.  Both  professors  and  seminarians  rep- 
resented every  shade  of  belief  tolerated  by  that  most  elastic 
of  sects.  The  dean,  who  was  professor  of  Ecclesiastical 
History,  passed  for  a  very  advanced  churchman.  The  pro- 
fessor of  Dogmatic  Theology  was  high  and  dry.  The  pro- 
fessor of  New  Testament  Exegesis  was  safely  high.  The 
professor  of  Hebrew  hobnobbed  with  Ritualists.  The  pro- 
r  of  Canon  Law  was  a  moderate  churchman  of  the  dry 
type,  while  the  professor  of  Pastoral  Theology  was  an  old- 
fashioned  low  churchman,  dry  as  dust.  Could  a  more  com- 
posite set  of  churchmen  be  imagined?  A  truly  'happy 
family'  collection." 

The  seminarians  presented  the  same  pleasing  variety  of 

17 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

religious  opinions.  No  two  agreed  exactly,  and  why  should 
they  agree  when  their  instructors  set  the  example  of  dis- 
agreeing? After  all,  was  it  not  the  logical  Protestant  posi- 
tion, the  exercise  of  the  claimed  inherent  right  of  private 
judgment?  Naturally  he  was  at  once  called  upon  to  declare 
his  own  views;  and  he  was  ranked  among  the  very  high 
churchmen.  "But,"  he  says,  "I  could  not  go  all  the  lengths 
to  which  a  few  went.  Excessive  bowing  of  the  head, 
crooking  of  the  knees,  and  signs  of  the  cross,  extravagant  in 
size,  seemed  to  me  too  conspicuous.  The  ultra-high  church- 
men affected  the  wearing  of  a  clerical  vest  with  neither  open- 
ing nor  buttons  down  the  front,  which  was  yclept  the  'mark 
of  the  Beast,'  and  was  supposed  to  be  intensely  Roman. 
Strange  to  say,  no  'Roman'  priest  was  ever  known  to  wear 
a  waistcoat  so  constructed.  Another  very  Romanizing  sign 
was  to  pronounce  amen,  'ahmen,'  though  such  a  pronuncia- 
tion is  unknown  to  the  real  Roman  except  in  Latin." 

He  narrates  with  some  detail  the  daily  life  in  the  Semi- 
nary : — 

"As  I  had  a  rather  large  room  with  two  smaller  ones  off 
it,  I  took  one  of  the  smaller  rooms  for  an  oratory.  The 
other  small  one  was  a  bedroom  and  the  large  one  a  study. 
The  oratory  was  simplicity  itself,  for  its  furniture  was  a 
prie-dieu  before  a  statuette  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  on  either 
side  of  which  was  a  candlestick,  holding  candles  to  be  lighted 
for  devotions.  To  this  oratory  a  few  choice  spirits  resorted 
occasionally  after  class  and  at  night.  I  had  not  yet  ad- 
vanced sufficiently  to  have  a  crucifix. 

"The  students  took  their  meals  in  common,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  the  day  when,  at  dinner,  the  news  was  circu- 
lated that  the  rector  of  Trinity  Church,  the  advocate  and 
model  of  celibacy,  was  engaeed  to  be  married.  And  what 

18 


GENERAL   THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

made  it  worse  was  that  the  lady  was  a  Presbyterian! 
Imagine  the  shock  to  the  admirers  of  celibacy !  It  was  said 
that  a  religious  congregation  of  women,  of  which  he  had 
been  the  confessor  and  a  great  friend,  had,  in  their  indigna- 
tion, turned  his  portrait  with  its  face  to  the  wall.  The  idol 
was  found  to  be  only  flesh  and  blood.  The  effect  of  the  de- 
fection of  the  leader  was  diverse.  Some  students  changed 
fheir  minds  like  him,  and  declared  that  they  had  given  up 
the  intention  of  being  celibates.  Others  said.  'I  told  you  so' ; 
while  still  others,  of  whom  I  was  one,  remained  faithful  to 
their  conviction  that  the  unmarried  clergyman,  having  no 
family  to  divide  his  attention,  could  give  an  undivided 
service  to  God  and  the  flock  committed  to  his  care.  Per- 
haps, with  a  view  of  encouraging  matrimony  among  the 
seminarians,  there  were  soirees  at  the  dean's  house,  where 
susceptible  and  unwary  youths  might  lose  their  hearts,  and 
where,  in  fact,  the  fate  of  several  was  thus  settled  in  favor 
of  the  married  state." 

If  so  much  latitude  in  doctrine  is  allowed  to  the  various 
divisions  that  make  up  the  Episcopalian  body  without  im- 
periling their  orthodoxy,  it  will  be  interesting  to  know 
what  question!  are  asked  and  what  answers  must  be  given 
that  a  student  may  acquit  himself  with  credit  l>efore  an  ex- 
amining board.  Van  Rensselaer  lets  the  cat  out  of  the  bag. 

"Examinations  were  a  curious  thing-  at  the  seminary. 
The  examiners  adapted  themselves  marvelously  to  the  ex- 
amined. Every  candidate's  grade  of  churchmanship  was 
pretty  well  known  to  the  examiners,  who  dexterously  put 
questions  suitable  to  the  religious  convictions  of  those  ex- 
amined. No  matter  how  unorthodox  a  man  might  be,  the 
very  obliging  examiners  were  careful  to  avoid  the  crucial 
questions  and  to  elicit  only  statements  that  would  not  shock 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

the  broad  sensibilities  of  the  examining  board  and  students 
present." 

One  of  the  events  of  seminary  life  he  recalls  was  the  oc- 
casional visits  of  a  Cowley  Father  from  Boston  to  hear  con- 
fessions, and  Van  Rensselaer  was  one  of  the  confessed. 
The  acquaintance  thus  made  with  the  mysterious  visitor, 
who  came  in  cassock,  cloak  and  broad  hat,  had  an  impor- 
tant influence  on  his  after  life. 

Though  a  pronounced  high  churchman  himself,  his-  par- 
ticular friends  were  taken  from  all  grades  of  churchman- 
ship.  "One  of  them  was  really  a  Rationalist,  but  a  charm- 
ing man.  One,  now  a  bishop,  was  low  church,  while  an- 
other, also  a  bishop,  was  broad.  Two  others  were  very 
high,  while  still  another  was  evangelical."  Yet  withal,  in 
spite  of  theological  differences  of  opinion,  they  were  very 
good  friends. 

During  the  summer  vacation  in  his  first  year  he  made  a 
trip  to  Europe,  which  tended  to  broaden  his  views  consid- 
erably. "According  to  the  theory  generally  accepted  by 
us,"  he  says,  "it  was  positively  wrong  for  Anglicans  to  at- 
tend 'Roman'  services  in  English-speaking  countries,  so  in 
England  I  visited  only  churches  of  the  Established  Religion. 
As  this  rule  did  not  hold  for  the  continent,  I  felt  no  com- 
punction in  going  to  the  celebrated  Catholic  churches,  al- 
though I  was  particular  in  being  present  at  service  in  the 
American  chapels,  however  bald  and  cold  that  service  was, 
and  baldness  and  coldness  were  the  prevalent  qualities." 

Although  only  a  seminarian,  he  had  very  decided  ideas 
about  the  propriety  of  clergymen  going  to  the  opera  and 
theatre,  and  as  he  had  assumed  the  clerical  collar,  he  con- 
sidered himself  a  cleric.  His  principle  in  this  regard  was 
put  to  a  severe  test  at  Munich.  A  monster  Wagner  festival 

20 


GENERAL  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

was  being  held,  and  he  loved  music.  His  inclination  was 
in  favor  of  going,  he  was  urged  by  fellow-travelers  to  go, 
but  he  made  the  sacrifice  and  did  not  go.  In  Paris  he  had 
met  several  of  the  seminarians  who  were  "doing"  the  sights, 
as  they  told  him  they  had  just  been  "doing"  London.  He 
expostulated.  They  defended  themselves  on  the  plea  of 
gaining  experience  for  future  use  in  the  ministry.  "Pitch," 
he  said,  "would  leave  its  mark,  and  what  was  unbecoming 
in  New  York  could  not  be  becoming  in  Paris  and  London. 
They  went  their  way,  and  I  went  mine." 

He  could  not  help  contrasting  the  cathedrals,  still  sacred 
to  Catholic  worship  on  the  continent,  with  those  shorn  of 
their  ancient  glory  in  England  and  Scotland.  "Notre  Dame 
of  Paris  and  the  Dom  of  Cologne,"  he  writes,  "were  in- 
stinct with  devotion,  and  the  most  inspiring  music  I  ever 
heard  was  that  of  a  vast  congregation  at  Mass  one  Sunday 
in  the  Cologne  Cathedral.  My  blood  boiled  at  the  desecra- 
tion of  the  historic  Cathedral  at  Basle  and  its  tenure  by 
Calvinists,  just  as  it  had  boiled  in  poor  St.  Giles'  in  Edin- 
burgh, divided  in  two  for  two  Protestant  sects — Presby- 
terian and  Episcopalian." 

The  extensive  trip  through  Europe  enabled  him  to  culti- 
vate his  taste  for  the  fine  arts  by  studying  the  world's  mas- 
terpieces stored  in  the  great  museums  and  galleries.  He 
journeyed  all  the  way  to  Dresden  solely  to  gaze  upon 
Raphael's  chef-d'oeuvre,  the  Sistine  Madonna,  and  he  felt 
that,  even  had  there  been  no  other  treasures  of  art  in  that 
wonderful  collection,  it  was  well  worth  the  journey.  What 
impressed  him  in  all  the  great  collections  was  the  prepon- 
derance of  subjects  taken  from  the  lives  of  Christ,  His 
mother,  and  the  saints.  "What  a  superb  testimony,"  he 
mused,  "to  the  faith  of  the  Catholic  world  before  the  great 

21 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

revolt  of  the  sixteenth  century,  which  cast  a  blight  for  so 
long  on  Christian  art,  from  which  it  has  only  in  the  last 
century  partially  recovered!" 

In  spite  of  warnings  not  to  venture  further  south  in  Italy 
than  Venice  and  Florence  in  early  September,  he  decided 
to  risk  it.  He  made  a  hurried  trip  to  Rome,  and  even  to 
Naples.  "Mul turn  in  parvo,"  he  says,  "would  describe  the 
amount  of  sightseeing  I  accomplished  in  a  minimum  of 
time.  I  realized  that  it  was  dangerous  to  rush  about  d 
I'americaine,  but  then  it  might  be  my  only  chance,  though 
I  did  not  neglect  to  throw  a  coin  in  the  famous  fountain  of 
Trevi,  which  is  supposed  to  insure  a  return  to  the  Eternal 
City,  which  in  my  case  proved  true.  I  recall  perfectly  one 
night,  when  I  had  that  day  dared  Providence  by  going  from 
the  heat  of  the  streets  to  the  chill  of  buildings  for  hours, 
that  I  felt  in  danger  of  the  fever,  and  for  the  first  time 
made  the  sign  of  the  cross  with  a  prayer  for  safety.  With 
that  start  the  holy  sign  of  our  salvation  became  a  familiar 
action.  I  can  honestly  say,  however,  that  I  had  not  the 
least  attraction  to  Catholicism,  as  such,  at  that  time.  But 
undoubtedly  the  leaven  was  working.  I  know  that  I  was 
disgusted  with  a  cicerone  who,  to  ingratiate  himself,  spoke 
slightingly  of  his  religion." 

"The  motive  of  my  European  trip,"  he  admits,  "was 
rather  artistic  than  religious,  and  so  the  art  galleries  claimed 
my  chief  attention,  though,  as  I  have  already  said,  the 
world's  most  famous  pictures  portray  the  great  mysteries  of 
our  faith  and  insensibly  awaken  our  religious  emotions." 

While  at  Florence  he  had  failed  to  visit  the  convent  of 
San  Marco,  where  Fra  Angelico  had  exercised  his  matchless 
art  in  limning  on  the  walls  of  the  cells  those  ethereal  spirits 
of  another  world  in  their  ministry  to  the  Incarnate  Word 

22 


GENERAL  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

and  His  mother.  He  resolved  at  Naples  to  make  good  this 
omission,  and  returned  to  Florence  via  Leghorn  and  Pisa 
on  a  flying  visit.  He  considered  himself  well  repaid  by  the 
sight  of  the  angelic  Brother's  exquisite  productions. 

He  was  much  annoyed  at  Turin  to  find  the  banks  closed 
on  a  weekday  that  was  not  on  the  Protestant  Episcopal  cal- 
endar as  a  feast-day.  It  was  the  8th  of  September,  the 
Nativity  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  and  a  holy  day  of 
obligation  at  that  time  in  Italy.  His  funds  were  low,  and 
he  had  expected  to  draw  on  his  letter  of  credit  at  the  bank. 
His  time  was  very  limited,  as  he  had  to  return  to  America 
towards  the  end  of  the  month.  Fortunately  there  were  at 
the  hotel  some  very  genial  English  officers,  returning  from 
India,  who,  on  hearing  of  his  plight,  volunteered  to  advance 
him,  though  he  was  a  perfect  stranger  to  them,  all  the 
money  he  needed.  When  he  reached  London  he  failed  to 
meet  these  true  friends  in  need,  but  acquitted  himself  of  his 
obligation  to  them. 

All  good  things  come  to  an  end,  and  so  did  the  trip  to 
Europe.  Seminary  life  was  resumed.  Henry's  ideas  had 
broadened,  but  he  was  not  conscious  of  any  trend  Rome- 
ward.  The  second  year  was  uneventful.  "The  various 
professors,"  he  says,  "still  taught  their  varied  doctrines, 
and  the  students  still  drew  their  own  conclusions.  The 
professor  of  ecclesiastical  history  enlightened  us  on  St. 
Patrick's  Day  with  a  lengthy  disquisition  to  prove  that  St. 
Patrick,  besides  being  a  gentleman,  was  a  Protestant  and— 
an  Anglican!" 


CHAPTER    IV. 
GERMANY  AND  OXFORD. 

AT  the  close  of  the  second  year,  our  young  seminarian 
grew  tired  of  the  very  prosaic  life  at  the  seminary 
and  resolved  to  spend  the  third  year  of  preparation  for  holy 
orders  in  the  university  city  of  Oxford.  For  this  he  had  to 
obtain  leave  from  the  bishop,  the  Right  Rev.  Horatio  Pot- 
ter. Although  he  was  an  old  personal  friend  of  the  Van 
Rensselaer  family,  he  did  not  favor  the  project,  but  for  lack 
of  authority  could  not  forbid  it.  Henry  speaks  amusingly 
of  his  visit  to  the  bishop  on  this  occasion,  though  it  ended 
rather  awkwardly  for  the  visitor.  "The  bishop,"  he  says, 
"was  extremely  tall,  very  thin  and  rather  severe  looking. 
According  to  my  advanced  schooling,  the  correct  thing  on 
taking  leave  of  your  bishop  was  to  kneel  and  ask  his  bless- 
ing, since  there  was  no  ring  to  kiss.  The  bishop  lived  in  an 
English  basement  house,  and  he  received  me  on  the  second 
floor.  My  leave-taking  was  at  the  head  of  the  staircase, 
and  I  narrowly  escaped  being  helped  down  the  flight  when 
I  knelt  for  the  blessing.  I  then  and  there  resolved  to  choose 
a  safe  place  before  again  asking  an  episcopal  blessing." 

Henry  carried  out  his  intention  and  sailed  in  June,  1875, 
for  Europe.  One  of  his  fellow-students,  who  had  formed 
the  same  plan  as  himself,  preceded  him  by  a  couple  of  weeks. 
Their  rendezvous  was  to  be  in  Hanover,  where  they  were 
to  study  German  during  the  vacation. 

"My  landing  in  Holland,  the  country  of  my  forefathers, 
will  never  be  forgotten.  It  is  usual  to  uncover  one's  head 

24 


GERMANY  AND  OXFORD 

in  token  of  respect.  In  this  instance  I  was  spared  the  act, 
as  shortly  before  landing  at  Rotterdam  my  only  hat  dis- 
appeared from  the  cabin  table,  on  which  I  had  confidingly 
placed  it.  Perhaps  it  was  taken  as  an  American  curio.  The 
result  was  extremely  embarrassing  to  me  and  entirely 
marred  my  first  impression  of  the  land  of  my  forefathers. 
So  disheartened  was  I,  that  I  took  the  first  train  to  Han- 
over, where  my  friend  awaited  me. 

He  had  secured  board  and  lodging  in  the  family  of  an 
ex-Hanoverian  major,  who,  in  consequence,  was  a  cordial 
hater  of  the  usurping  king  of  Prussia  and  a  most  loyal  ad- 
herent of  the  old  blind  ex-king.  The  household  consisted 
of  the  major,  his  wife  and  daughter,  a  forward  damsel  of 
sixteen.  "We  were  really  overpowered  with  their  constant 
attention.  And  the  German  cooking!  No  disputing  about 
tastes!  We  made  progress  in  learning  German,  but  at  what 
costs !  We  were  always  en  famillc.  We  could  not  stir  out 
of  doors  unless  accompanied,  usually  by  the  three.  We  had 
to  resort  to  artifices.  Sunday  we  declared  exempt  from 
company,  as  we  had  religious  scruples  on  the  subject.  Then 
we  discovered  that  there  were  two  concert  gardens,  both 
high-grade.  They  recommended  the  Odeon  and  accom- 
panied us  there.  In  an  unwary  moment  they  disclosed  the 
fact  that  the  rival  Tivoli  was  the  resort  of  the  hated  Prus- 
sian garrison  officers,  and  consequently  was  tabooed  by  all 
loyal  Hanoverians.  This  threw  the  extra  weight  in  the  scale 
of  Tivoli.  We  decided  that  the  music  at  Tivoli  was  superior, 
and  we  forsook  the  Odeon  and  were  freed  from  the  com- 
pany of  the  family  on  those  evenings  at  least.  The  good- 
natured,  motherly,  fat  Frau  Majorin  Candau  got  us  a  terri- 
ble scolding  from  the  Herr  Major  for  once,  in  our  simplic- 
ity, speaking  of  her  to  him  as  the  Majorin  without  prefixing 

25 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

Fran.  I  was  a  great  lover  of  flowering  plants.  She  had 
placed  some  flower-pots  on  our  window-sill.  Now  the  win- 
dow was  in  the  third  story,  and,  though  in  Germany,  it 
was  a  French  window.  One  day,  when  the  wind  was  high, 
we  went  out  for  a  walk  and  left  the  window  open.  When 
we  returned,  our  reception  was  frigid  in  the  extreme.  The 
chill  was  caused  by  the  blowing  down  of  a  flower-pot,  for 
which  we  were  held  guilty.  When  it  occurred,  shortly  after, 
a  second  time,  our  guilt  was  so  evident,  and  our  malice  so 
prepense,  that  for  a  while  they  would  not  speak  to  us.  We 
went  out  and  bought  a  beautiful  china  jardiniere  with  lovely 
growing  flowers.  The  peace-offering  was  accepted  with 
profuse  expressions  of  admiration  for  the  gift  and  astonish- 
ment at  our  extravagance.  However,  we  were  tired  of  the 
uncertain  temper  of  the  toothless  major,  whose  toothsome 
Hamburger  steak  was  sometimes  surreptitiously  taken  by  us 
at  table,  instead  of  the  tougher  meat  served  on  the  same 
dish.  We  were  tired  of  the  pert  Fraulein  Mollie;  tired  even 
of  the  kind-hearted,  but  oppressive  Majorin;  but  above  all, 
tired  of  the  irascible  major.  We  decided  that  a  trip  to  Ber- 
lin, Dresden,  the  Saxon  Switzerland,  Baden-Baden  and 
other  places  of  interest  would  be  preferable  to  a  longer  so- 
journ in  Hanover — the  dullest  of  dull  towns,  although  its 
inhabitants  claim  the  purest  pronunciation  of  German." 

The  summer  on  the  Continent  helped  to  moderate  the  de- 
cidedly puritanical  views  Van  Rensselaer  had  entertained  on 
the  subject  of  Sunday  observance.  He  had  been  brought 
up  in  the  most  rigid  manner.  As  a  child  no  toys,  no  play- 
things, no  games,  and  no  secular  story  books  or  music  were 
ever  allowed.  The  day  was  devoted  to  church-going,  cate- 
chism, learning  texts  and  chapters  of  the  Bible,  reading 
goody-goody  books  and  singing  hymns.  It  would  have 

26 


GERMANY  AND  OXFORD 

teen  considered  an  awful  breach  to  sing  a  ballad  or  read  a 
novel,  however  standard  it  might  be.  Amusements  of  all 
kinds  were  prohibited.  Baseball  or  sports  of  athletic  nature 
were  under  the  ban.  "Imagine,"  he  says,  "what  a  con- 
trast to  all  this  a  'Continental'  Sunday  is!  I  was  not  con- 
verted to  the  latter,  but  an  impression  was  made  less  an- 
tipathetic." 

It  so  happened  that  during  his  stay  in  Germany  the  last 
of  the  conferences  at  Bonn  on  the  Rhine  was  about  to  be 
held.  It  was  a  chance,  and  he  embraced  it.  We  cannot  help 
being  grateful  for  the  interesting  though  brief  account  given 
by  the  observant  American: 

"There  were  present  representatives  of  the  Church  of 
England,  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  the  Lutherans, 
Old  Catholics  and  Greeks — a  motley  collection.  The  lan- 
guage at  the  morning  session  was  German ;  in  the  afternoon 
English  was  spoken.  Dr.  Dollinger,  leader  of  the  so-called 
Old-Catholic  schism,  was  the  chief  speaker.  The  supposed 
machinations  of  the  Jesuits  seemed  to  be  his  pidcc-de-rcsis- 
tatice,  and  on  this  he  harped!  The  Greeks,  though  repre- 
sented, held  themselves  aloof,  and  would  not  join  in  any 
religious  exercise  with  the  others.  Of  course,  they  soon 
discovered  that  many  fundamental  doctrines  held  by  them 
were  rejected  by  the  Protestants.  The  result  was — what 
might  have  been  predicted — nothing.  One  novel  bit  of  in- 
formation was  furnished  by  the  Anglican  Bishop  of  Gib- 
raltar. He  informed  us  that  he  had  jurisdiction  over  all 
southern  Europe,  and  that,  consequently,  Rome  was  in  his 
rather  extensive  diocese.  Was  Pius  IX  his  suffragan?  He 
did  not  vouchsafe  to  tell  us  who  had  granted  him  juris- 
diction. Did  southern  Europe  belong  to  the  Province  of 
Canterbury?  How  about  the  time-honored  triple  branch 

27 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

theory?  But  we  must  not  look  for  consistency  in  such 
difficult  questions." 

For  all  that,  Henry  in  a  letter  written  at  the  time,  and 
with  the  impression  still  vivid  in  his  mind,  declared  that 
"Dr.  Dollinger's  closing  address,  in  which  he  traced  the 
rise  and  growth  of  the  Papacy,  was  better  than  a  course  of 
lectures." 

While  at  Bonn  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  celebrated 
English  preacher,  Canon  Liddon,  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral, 
London,  who  was  present  at  the  conference.  This  was 
really  fortunate,  for  it  provided  him  with  a  friend  to  intro- 
duce him  to  the  Dons  at  Oxford,  of  which  university  Dr. 
Liddon  was  a  professor. 

To  Oxford,  then,  he  went  in  the  fall  of  1875,  his  friend 
and  fellow-student  from  the  General  Theological  Seminary 
accompanying  him.  As  they  intended  to  spend  only  a  year 
there,  they  thought  it  useless  to  attach  themselves  to  any 
of  the  colleges,  so  they  were  what  is  known  as  unattached, 
or  students-at-large,  "a  very  suitable  condition,"  he  ob- 
serves, "for  young  Americans." 

They  had  charming  rooms  in  a  little  house  on  the  Iffley 
Road,  in  front  of  which  was  the  broad,  level  stretch  of 
Christ  Church  Meadows.  The  Convent  of  the  Cowley 
Fathers,  as  they  are  commonly  called,  was  quite  near. 
Thither  Van  Rensselaer  went  every  morning  and  evening, 
mingled  with  the  "Fathers,"  and  was  much  impressed  by 
their  austerity.  Indeed,  it  is  surprising  that  he  was  not 
at  this  time  formally  received  into  their  community. 

The  Cowley  Fathers  are  not  unknown  in  America.  They 
have  at  least  two  churches  in  the  United  States,  the  "Old" 
Advent  in  Boston  and  St.  Clement's  in  Philadelphia,  As 
Van  Rensselaer  saw  so  much  of  them  at  Oxford,  a  short 

28 


GERMANY*  AND  OXFORD 

account  of  this  community  from  his  pen,  with  characteristic 
comments,  may  be  of  interest : 

"The  Convent  of  the  Cowley  Fathers  was  founded  by 
xFather  Benson,  who  \vas  a  fellow  of  Christ  Church,  I  be- 
lieve, and  an  Anglican  minister.  He  was  a  man  of  large 
fortune,  which  he  spent  in  building  the  monastery,  in  sup- 
porting the  brethren,  and  in  charitable  works.  Personally 
he  was  unprepossessing,  carried  his  head  always  on  one  side, 
was  i  -ually  unkempt  and  untidy.  He  was  certainly  pious 
in  his  own  way,  and  self-sacrificing.  He  preached  with 
great  earnestness,  but  in  a  very  nasal  tone.  The  title  of 
the  community  was  Society  of  St.  John  Evangelist,  and  the 
Fathers  were  consequently  S.S.J.E.,  not  unlike  the  Jesuits, 
who  are  S.  J.  Moreover,  they  followed  the  exact  rule  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus,  but  in  an  exaggerated  way,  and  wore  in 
different  material  the  dress  usually  worn  by  the  Jesuits  in 
Europe:  a  cassock  with  girdle,  a  long  cloak  and  broad- 
brimmed  hat.  They  made  themselves  very  conspicuous  by 
appearing  in  public  streets,  in  railway  cars  and  on  steam- 
ships, in  full  costume,  to  the  astonishment  of  most  behold- 
ers. As  I  have  already  hinted,  they  recite  daily  the  Brevi- 
ary, but  in  English.  The  Jesuits  make  an  annual  eight-day 
retreat,  and  twice  in  their  religious  lives  a  thirty-day  retreat 
preparatory  to  their  first  and  last  vows.  Their  imitators, 
like  most  imitators,  overdo  the  originals  by  prescribing  a 
yearly  retreat  of  thirty  days.  In  other  matters  the  same 
spirit  of  exaggeration  manifests  itself.  Although  only  a 
score  or  so  in  number,  they  scour  the  world,  preaching, 
giving  retreats  and  hearing  confessions.  From  whom 
they  get  this  universal  mission  and  jurisdiction  is  so  pro- 
found a  mystery  that  not  even  they  themselves  pretend 
to  give  a  solution.  Tn  fact,  these  two  matters,  mission  and 

29 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

jurisdiction,  are  quietly  ignored.  If  any  explanation  is  in- 
sisted upon,  these  powers  are  claimed  to  be  received  in 
ordination.  Now,  supposing  that  Anglican  Orders  were 
valid,  which  we  do  not  admit,  they  would  only  confer  the 
powers  of  the  priesthood  radically,  and  for  their  exercise 
the  further  power  of  mission  and  jurisdiction  are  required. 
We  might  give  an  example  from  the  army  and  navy.  A 
man  may  receive  the  appointment  of  a  captaincy.  The 
appointing  gives  the  rank,  but  the  exercise  of  the  duty 
requires  the  further  designation  of  the  regiment  and  the 
company.  Furthermore,  a  captain  assigned  to  a  company 
in  one  regiment  may  not  lawfully  exercise  authority  as 
captain  of  a  company  in  another.  So  a  priest  requires,  be- 
sides the  powers  received  in  the  sacrament  of  Holy  Orders, 
faculties  from  his  ordinary,  the  bishop  of  the  diocese,  for 
the  exercise  of  those  powers.  The  priest  is  appointed  over 
a  certain  parish  or  mission  by  his  bishop,  and  over  it  lie 
has  jurisdiction,  but  he  may  not  rove  around  outside  of  his 
own  limits  and  perform  priestly  acts. 

"So  strict  is  the  discipline  of  the  Church  that  a  priest  in 
good  standing  in  his  own  diocese,  for  instance,  New  York, 
could  not  pass  over  the  ferry  to  New  Jersey  or  Long  Island 
and  exercise  his  ministry  without  the  permission  and  appro- 
bation of  the  Bishop  of  Newark  or  of  Brooklyn.  For  uni- 
versal ministry  there  must  be  a  universal  mission  and  juris- 
diction, which  belongs  to  the  Apostolic  See  alone.  Hence  in 
the  Catholic  Church  the  Pope  exercises  this  universal  au- 
thority over  the  whole  flock  of  Christ,  and  designates,  or  at 
least  approves,  the  erection  of  dioceses,  of  vicariates  apos- 
tolic and  their  incumbents.  Compare  the  perfect  order  and 
discipline  in  the  Church  with  the  go-as-you-please  methods 
among  Protestant  ministers.'' 

30 


GERMANY  AND  OXFORD 

While  at  the  University  of  Oxford,  Van  Rensselaer's  re- 
lations with  some  of  the  noted  men  there  were  of  the 
friendliest  kind.  Chief  among  these  were  Canon  Liddon 
and  Dr.  King,  late  Bishop  of  Lincoln. 

"Cannon  Liddon,"  he  says,  "gave  very  profoundly  crit- 
ical views  on  the  Epistle  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Romans.  His 
exegesis  of  the  Greek  was  admirable,  though  extremely 
technical.  But  it  was  an  education  in  the  art  of  studying 
the  original  text." 

The  canon  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  ablest  of  the 
passing  generation  of  Anglican  Churchmen,  and  a  worthy 
successor  of  the  giants  of  the  Oxford  movement.  Most  of 
his  sermons  have  been  published  and  show  great  erudition, 
particularly  in  Catholic  theology.  With  him  Van  Rensse- 
laer  was  on  terms  of  easy  familiarity,  which  was  the  occa- 
sion in  later  life  of  many  pleasant  reminiscences.  The  great 
man  impressed  him  deeply  and  no  doubt  had  a  marked 
influence  in  shaping  his  career.  He  speaks  of  him  always 
with  respect,  and  at  times  with  a  glow  of  enthusiastic  ad- 
miration. Thus  he  tells  us : — 

"I  used  to  see  a  great  deal  of  Canon  Liddon.  It  is 
strange  how  small  incidents  leave  their  impression.  One 
day  I  was  invited  to  lunch  with  him.  To  my  horror  the 
only  dish  provided  was  one  of  sweetbreads.  Now  I  had 
never  been  able  to  school  myself  to  eat  them,  as  I  had  a 
repulsion  for  liver,  kidneys  and  things  of  that  ilk.  I  could 
not  disgrace  my  breeding  by  refusing  the  only  dish,  so  I 
conquered  my  antipathy  then  and  there.  He  had  proposed 
a  long  walk  in  the  country  for  that  day.  I  kept  the  appoint- 
ment, although  walking  seemed  out  of  the  question,  as  it 
had  poured  down  rain  for  several  days,  and  the  lowlands 
of  Oxford  were  flooded.  I  never  for  a  moment  imagined 

31 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

the  possibility  of  a  walk  under  such  conditions.  But  the 
Doctor  remarked  casually  that  he  supposed  I  was  prepared 
for  the  walk.  'Do  you  intend  to  go?'  I  asked.  'Certainly,' 
said  he,  'I  always  carry  out  my  plans.  Will  you  go?'  Was 
an  Englishman  to  challenge  an  American  and  find  him 
wanting? 

"  'Of  course  I  shall  go,'  I  replied,  determined  not  to  be 
outdone,  though  in  my  mind  thinking  it  perfect  folly.  So 
the  walk  was  taken,  if  it  could  be  called  a  walk.  It  was 
rather  a  wade,  and  in  several  places  we  had  to  use  rowboats 
as  extemporized  ferries  where  the  roads  were  flooded.  It 
was  a  life  lesson  for  me  to  learn  from  this  successful  lec- 
turer and  preacher — the  determination  that  overcomes  all 
obstacles.  Many  pleasant  and  instructive  rambles  were 
taken  in  the  company  of  that  great  man.  I  attended  some 
of  his  Advent  sermons  under  the  dome  of  St.  Paul's,  where 
about  five  thousand  persons  assembled  to  hear  him,  as  he 
ranked  foremost  among  the  preachers  of  the  Establishment. 
He  read  his  sermons,  but  so  skilfully  that  one  scarcely 
realized  it.  He  had,  however,  an  unpleasant  habit  of  throw- 
ing up  his  head  continually,  as  if  to  give  greater  resonance 
to  his  voice.  And  he  made  such  efforts  to  be  heard  that, 
he  told  me,  he  was  exhausted  for  three  days  after.  He 
was  very  popular  among  the  students,  and  was  reputed  to 
be  the  spiritual  adviser  of  many  of  them." 

There  was  an  attempt  on  Van  Rensselaer's  part  to  be- 
come enrolled  as  a  member  of  Dr.  Pusey's  class,  but  he  met 
with  discomfiture.  He  records  the  incident  as  follows : 

*'I  rather  plumed  myself  on  my  knowledge  of  Hebrew 
at  that  time,  as  I  had  studied  it  two  years  in  the  General 
Theological  Seminary.  So  I  paid  a  visit  to  Dr.  Pusey,  who 
enveloped  me  completely  in  a  wet  blanket.  He  inquired  if 

32 


GERMANY  AND  OXFORD 

I  were  conversant  with  Aramaic,  Chaldaic,  Syriac,  Arabic, 
and  I  do  not  recall  how  many  other  oriental  tongues.  On 
my  answering1  in  a  very  crestfallen  way  that  they  were  all 
unknown  to  me,  he  said  that  his  lectures  on  Daniel  would 
l>e  quite  useless,  as  they  presupposed  such  knowledge.  No- 
ticing my  drooping  spirits,  he  added  encouragingly  that  I 
might  acquire  a  sufficient  acquaintance  with  them  in  two 
years  to  profit  by  his  class,  and  that  then  I  might  attend. 
He  little  appreciated  the  spirit  of  rush  that  animates  Ameri- 
cans. I  was  not  altogether  sorry,  as  I  was  not  at  all  drawn 
to  the  great  leader  of  the  Oxford  movement.  He  was  not 
prepossessing  in  appearance  or  manner,  and  I  wondered 
wherein  his  influence  lay.  Nor  was  I  changed  in  my  judg- 
ment when  I  afterwards  heard  him  preach  at  St.  Mary's, 
the  University  Church,  in  all  the  glory  of  a  doctor's  scarlet 
gown." 

Another  eminent  Oxford  Don  whose  kindness  of  heart 
always  appealed  to  Van  Rensselaer  was  Dr.  King,  the  pres- 
ent Anglican  Bishop  of  Lincoln.  Contrasting  him  with 
Dr.  Pusey,  he  says : — 

"A  very  different  type  of  man  was  Dr.  King.  Canon  of 
Christ  Church  and  Regius  Professor  of  Pastoral  Theology. 
He  lived  in  Christ  Church  quadrangle  with  his  mother,  a 
deaj  old  lady,  and  they  formed  the  most  charming  couple. 
The  canon  was  gentleness  and  considerateness  personified. 
He  was  not  a  learned  man,  but  was  well  read,  and  had  a 
heart  overflowing  with  sympathy.  He  lectured  familiarly 
on  Liturgies,  and  endeavored  to  show  that  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer  was  in  full  accord  with  the  primitive  litur- 
gies. He  appeared,  however,  to  best  advantage  when  he 
gathered  a  select  few  of  the  theological  students  in  a  little 
oratory  he  had  arranged  in  the  quadrangle.  Thither  we 

33 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

resorted  at  night  to  hear  a  simple  talk  from  his  heart  on  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  He  advised  the  leaving  open  of  the 
clergyman's  house-door  at  night,  in  order  that  poor  Nico- 
demuses,  fearful  of  being  seen  by  day,  might  seek  counsel 
unseen  at  night.  The  advice  of  the  good  canon  might  be 
suitable  in  paradise,  but  rather  risky  in  our  state  of  civiliza- 
tion. We  were  great  friends,  and  I  used  to  go  early  morn- 
ings to  assist  him  in  a  sort  of  mass  which  was  celebrated 
in  the  quaintest  little  mediaeval  Gothic  chapel,  attached  to 
an  old  convent  then  used  by  the  Anglican  Sisters  of  St. 
John  Baptist  as  a  reformatory  for  girls.  Dr.  King  would 
array  himself  in  colored  silken  vestments,  and,  at  a  very 
Catholic-looking  altar,  with  my  assistance,  perform  what 
was  called  a  celebration  of  the  Eucharist.  In  the  early 
morning  he  was  very  'high,'  but  at  noon  in  the  cathedral 
he  was  quite  Mow,'  wore  the  old-fashioned  surplice  down 
to  the  heels,  and  took  the  northward  position  at  the  com- 
munion table,  of  which  the  chief  ornaments  were  two  huge 
brass  alms-basins  stood  up  on  edge.  I  never  could  exactly 
account  for  this  Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr.  Hyde  conduct  of  the 
canon.  But  he  was  otherwise  so  good  and  lovable." 

The  inconsistencies  in  religious  worship  at  Oxford  did 
not  escape  Van  Rensselaer's  notice  and  they  had  a  share,  no 
doubt,  in  undermining  whatever  belief  he  had  in  the  An- 
glican position.  As  he  observes  in  his  narrative : 

"Many  a  pre-Reformation  custom  has  survived  the 
change  of  religion,  although  they  have  become  in  most  in- 
stances meaningless;  for  instance,  the  bidding  prayers  in  the 
various  chapels  and  in  the  university  church  for  deceased 
founders  and  benefactors.  Under  the  Protestant  regime 
they  are  senseless,  for  the  Established  Church  legislated  Pur- 
gatory out  of  existence,  and  therefore  she  does  not  pray  for 


GERMANY  AND  OXFORD 

the  departed,  for  what  would  be  the  use?  If  they  are  in 
heaven  or  hell,  they  cannot  be  benefited  by  prayers.  So  the 
prayers  are  omitted,  and  only  the  names  read  out,  probably 
for  a  perpetual  memory  of  those  whose  benefactions  have 
gone  so  far  astray  from  the  intention  of  the  pious  donors, 
and  who,  if  they  could  return  to  life,  would  most  certainly 
not  recognize  as  their  beneficiaries  those  who  protest  against 
the  articles  of  the  old  faith  so  dear  to  their  hearts.  One 
cannot  help  being  impressed  by  this  act  at  every  turn  in  the 
old  university  town.  On  all  sides  are  the  superb  monuments 
of  the  ancient  faith  of  England,  proofs  of  the  love  of  the 
founders  for  that  faith,  and  of  their  desire  to  have  it  pre- 
served and  strengthened  by  a  broad  education.  Many  of  the 
establishments  were  originally  monastic.  In  other  cases  the 
professors  were  clerics,  or  if  not,  were  at  least  celibates. 
Strangely  enough,  this  last  obligation  holds  to-day  in  some 
of  the  colleges,  in  which  the  fellows  forfeit  their  fellowship 
upon  marriage. 

"One  of  the  most  striking  cases  in  Oxford  of  the  over- 
turning of  the  intentions  of  the  founders  is  that  of  All 
Souls'  College.  It  was  founded  in  the  fourteenth  century 
as  a  chantry  for,  I  think,  twenty  fellows,  whose  duty  was 
to  offer  Mass  and  pray  for  the  souls  of  those  who  fell  in 
the  battles  of  Crecy  and  Agincourt.  The  present  holders  of 
the  revenues  are  simply  men  of  letters,  like  the  late  Max 
Miiller,  who  are  not  obliged  to  believe  anything  and  cer- 
tainly cannot,  if  they  would,  do  anything  for  the  souls  of 
those  for  whose  sake  the  ample  foundation  was  made. 
While  we  were  in  Oxford,  some  repairs  l>cing  necessary  in 
the  chapel  of  that  college,  a  superbly  carved  marble  reredos 
was  discovered.  This  the  iconoclastic  reformers  of  the  six- 
teenth century  had  seriouslv  damaged,  and  had  destroyed 

35 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

the  statues  that  once  stood  in  the  rich,  Gothic,  canopied 
niches.  Not  satisfied  with  partial  destruction,  they  had  plas- 
tered up  the  whole  reredos  so  that  it  seemed  only  a  plain 
wall.  This  was  a  common  occurrence  in  England,  and  the 
substitute  for  the  crucifix  was  the  royal  coat-of-arms,  the 
lion  and  the  dragon  rampant,  typical  indeed  of  those  who 
had  banished  the  Lamb  of  God  from  His  dwelling-place  in 
the  tabernacle  of  the  altar." 

As  the  Christmas  vacation  covered  several  weeks,  Van 
Rensselaer  proposed  spending  the  time  in  a  pilgrimage  to 
the  Holy  Land,  and  made  all  the  necessary  arrangements. 
In  an  unlucky  moment  he  informed  the  Cowley  Fathers  of 
his  intention  and  they  entreated  him  to  forego  it,  on  the 
plea  that  to  pass  the  time  in  a  sort  of  retreat  in  their  house 
would  be  for  his  greater  spiritual  advantage,  and  a  better 
preparation  for  the  reception  of  holy  orders.  He  allowed 
himself  to  be  persuaded  and  abandoned  the  projected  trip, 
and  so  lost  his  only  chance  of  visiting  the  sacred  places  of 
Palestine.  "I  have  always  borne  a  grudge,"  he  says,  "to 
those  who  deprived  me  of  this  golden  opportunity."  The 
holidays  were  spent  in  great  part  in  religious  exercises  in 
the  private  chapel  of  the  "monastery."  These  began  at  5 
o'clock  in  the  morning  with  the  recital  of  the  Divine  Office, 
the  Breviary  in  English.  Then  came  a  meditation  and 
mass  (?).  The  whole  day  was  well  filled  with  pious  read- 
ing, meditation  and  reciting  of  the  Office.  He  even  took 
his  meals  with  the  community,  and  "very  frugal  ones  they 
were  and  not  over-appetizing." 

36 


CHAPTER   V. 
LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD. 

DURING  his  stay  at  Oxford,  Van  Rensselaer  wrote  once 
a  week  with  great  fidelity  to  an  intimate  friend  in 
America,  who  had  been  a  fellow-student  with  him  at  the 
General  Theological  Seminary,  and  to  whom  he  refers  in 
the  autobiographical  sketch  as  having  been  received  with 
him  into  the  Catholic  Church. 

These  letters,  with  proper  omissions,  are  given  here  in 
the  order  in  which  they  were  written.  Besides  throwing 
light  on  his  own  narrative,  which  was  put  together  a  gen- 
eration later,  they  are  descriptive  of  interesting  phases  of 
his  religious  life  and  its  development. 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"October  10,  1875. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  Wednesday  we  took  a  trip  into  the  country. 
It  was  a  perfect  day,  clear  as  i>ossib!e  and  delightfully  cool. 
NYe  started  off  at  eight  o'clock  for  Warwick,  as  we  were 
anxious  to  see  the  famous  castle.  The  exterior  is  very  im- 
posing, and  the  grounds  beautiful,  the  Avon  flowing  through 
them.  I  was  rather  disgusted  with  the  interior.  Such  a 
chapel!  they  certainly  could  not  say:  'We  have  an  altar.' 
And  no  ornament  of  any  kind !  We  were  led  through  several 
rooms  where  there  was  nothing  unique  or  interesting  except 

3M 
I 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

one  or  two  pictures.  One  of  Sir  Philip  Sidney,  an  original 
of  Raphael,  a  Madonna  and  Child,  with  saints,  among  them 
your  patron,  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  and  a  lovely  face  he  had, 
too.  I  should  like  you  to  have  seen  it.  We  were  also  fortu- 
nate enough  to  have  the  privilege  of  seeing  the  bed  in  which 
her  gracious  majesty,  Queen  Anne,  passed  the  night;  also 
her  travelling  trunk.  It  was  rather  a  bore,  as  we  have  seen 
so  much  of  that  sort  of  thing,  but  an  Englishwoman  who 
was  also  being  led  around,  seemed  much  impressed;  evi- 
dently she  was  green  at  it.  I  disgusted  the  major-domo  by 
asking  him  if  any  one  lived  in  the  castle,  being  ignorant  that 
there  was  still  an  'Head'  of  Warwick.  We  rather  enjoyed 
going  up  on  the  old  walls,  and  up  the  tower,  but  the  best 
thing  was  an  old  woman  at  the  gate  who  had  a  small  room 
full  of  mementos  of  Guy,  'Head'  of  Warwick,  who  lived 
about  900,  and  was  a  giant,  being,  as  she  said,  7  feet  11 
inches,  or,  as  she  added  for  our  instruction,  8  feet  lacking 
one  inch.  There  was  a  huge  iron  porringer  belonging  to  the 
said  'Hearl,'  which  had  been  used  at  the  last  'Head's' 
majority  for  a  punch  bowl.  She  said  'hit  'olds  one  'undred 
gallons  of  brandy,  one  'undred  gallons  of  rum,  one  'undred 
pounds  of  sugar,  fifty  gallons  of  water,  hand  horanges,  hand 
lemons  hin  proportion.'  The  manner  of  jerking  this  out 
was  the  most  absurd  thing,  and  just  think,  on  the  eventful 
day  this  bowl  was  filled  three  times  with  punch.  We  nearly 
exploded  with  laughter  at  her  manner  and  tried  to  beat  a 
hasty  retreat,  but  she  begged  us  to  wait  for  we  hadn't  had 
the  best  thing  yet,  whereupon  she  seized  an  iron  flesh  hook 
and  beat  upon  the  porringer  to  show  us  that  it  was  not 
cracked,  till  we  thought  our  tympanums  were,  and  so  rushed 
out.  Next  we  went  in  a  carriage  to  Kenilworth,  five  miles 
off,  having  been  enticed  by  a  most  'insinuating'  driver. 

38 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

.  .  .  On  the  way  we  stopped  at  a  place  which  he  said 
we  must  see;  we  tried  to  refuse,  but  he  said,  'You  misses  a 
treat  if  you  misses  that,'  and  appeared  so  sorrowful  that  to 
please  him  we  went  over  the  house,  which  was  nine  hundred 
years  old,  but  nothing  remarkable  about  it  except  some  hid- 
eous pictures  by  a  young  gentleman  of  the  family  who, 
either  in  despair  at  his  attempts,  or  from  the  melancholy  at 
beholding  them,  deceased  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-two. 
Some  of  his  subjects  were  Shylock,  Lady  Macbeth,  and  the 
Cave  of  Despair,  representing  two  wretches  starving  to 
death.  Can  you  imagine  a  more  unhealthy  brain  ? 

"At  length  we  reached  Kenilworth,  which  is  entirely  in 
ruins,  picturesque  but,  to  me,  who  had  only  an  indistinct  re- 
membrance of  Amy  Robsart  and  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  not 
particularly  interesting.  .  .  .  Now  we  wanted  to  pro- 
ceed to  Stratford-on-Avon,  and  again  the  'insinuating' 
coachy  'insinuated'  himself  and  carriage,  picturing  to  us 
the  delights  of  driving  in  the  country,  the  roads  being,  he 
said,  as  straight  and  level  as  a  skittle  ground.  So,  as  it 
was  pleasant,  again  we  yielded,  thereby  spending  some  more 
money  needlessly.  We  drove  eight  miles  more  and  were 
landed  on  Charlecote  Park,  still  in  the  Lucy  family,  and  we 
walked  across  the  Park  where  Shakespeare  had  l>een  arrested 
for  poaching,  and  which  was  full  of  such  lovely  deer,  and 
then  we  were  to  walk  about  two  miles  and  so  reach  Strat- 
ford, at  least  so  said  our  'insinuating'  coachman,  but  alas, 
he  was  a  fraud,  or  at  least  bad  at  figures,  for  he  should  have 
multiplied  two  by  two,  and  then  would  have  been  nearer  the 
truth,  for  we  walked  and  walked;  at  last,  however,  we 
reached  our  point,  the  church.  The  medallion  did  not  seem 
to  me  at  all  like  any  picture  of  Will  I  had  ever  seen,  and  in- 
stead of  being  white,  is  painted  mi  natnrcl.  The  church  is 

30 


LIFE  OF  H'ENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

now  in  Catholic  hands,  I  am  thankful  to  say.*  We  were 
intensely  disappointed  in  Stratford  itself,  expecting  a  pretty 
little  village  and  finding  a  commonplace  town  of  ten  thou- 
sand inhabitants.  The  old  house  had  just  been  furbished  up 
and  looked  very  spick  and  span.  We  got  back  to  Oxford 
at  9  P.  M.,  after  a  very  pleasant  day's  excursion. 

"We  had  a  treat  to-day.  Dr.  Pusey  preached  this  morn- 
ing at  the  Cathedral.  He  is  not  nearly  so  ugly  as  his  pic- 
ture makes  him.  He  is  short  and  thick-set,  rather  stooping, 
bending  under  his  weight  of  years  and  cares ;  he  is  seventy- 
five.  As  he  preached,-  the  sunlight  streamed  round  his  head, 
giving  the  appearance  of  a  glory,  and  being  raised  above  us, 
we  did  not  see  the  skull-cap;  he  is  a  dear  old  man,  with  such 
a  sweet  expression  and  intellectual.  He  preached  on  prayer; 
a  beautiful  sermon,  so  simple  and  yet  so  true. 

"I  am  reading  ahead,  but  I  have  a  wretched  memory. 
I  don't  see  how  any  one  who  has  read  Pusey  on  the  Real 
Presence  in  the  Church  of  England,  'and  the  Fathers,  can 
help  being  convinced,  unless  he  be  possessed  of  invincible 
ignorance.  I  suppose  the  lectures  will  begin  next  week;  the 
term  is  quite  short,  only  a  little  more  than  six  weeks.  Won't 
it  be  delightful  to  go  to  the  Holy  Land  or  Italy? 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


*Throughout    these    letters    the    word    Catholic    is    invariably   used 
for  Anglican. 

40 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"October  17,  1875. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  Speaking  about  Absolution,  I  did  not  remem- 
ber, if  I  ever  knew,  that  our  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
had  left  out  that  very  useful  little  rubric  in  the  Visitation 
Office  about  urging  to  a  special  confession,  as  also  the 
direct  form  of  Absolution  .  It  was  brought  to  my  attention 
by  Dr.  King's  saying  that  he  made  great  capital  of  it  in 
his  lectures  on  the  prayer  book,  whereupon  I  looked  it  up, 
and  alas,  our  dear  P.  E.  C.  had  omitted  it.  I  have  not  had 
a  chance  to  hear  what  remedy  he  can  suggest  consistent 
with  the  rubrics;  for  in  the  Visitation  of  Prisoners  we  are 
told  to  use  the  form  of  Absolution  in  the  Communion  Office. 
I  will  see  the  dear  soul  to-morrow  morning  after  Celebra- 
tion at  the  Sisters'  little  chapel,  where  I  go  every  Monday. 
He  is  the  most  sympathetic  and  safe  counsellor  one  could 
desire;  he  has  been  exceedingly  polite,  and  invited  me  to 
dinner  on  Wednesday.  .  .  . 

"Oxford  is  full  now ;  all  the  graduates  and  fellows  have 
returned.  I  must  say  I  am  disappointed  in  their  appearance; 
they  have  not  the  style  that  elegant  Americans  possess  so 
eminently.  We  had  a  very  excellent  sermon  this  morning 
at  St.  Mary  the  Virgin,  before  the  University.  It  was  by 
the  Dean  of  Rochester,  Dr.  Scott.  Strange  to  say,  his  co- 
lexicographer,  Liddell,  also  discoursed  this  morning  at  the 
Cathedral.  The  service  consisted  of  enumerating  all  the 
tilings  for  which  one  ought  to  l>e  thankful  and  pray,  a  whole 
Catalogue  of  the  founders  of  Colleges,  concluding  with  the 
Lord's  prayer,  said  by  Dr.  Scott,  solo.  The  first  was  the 
'bidding  prayer,'  so  that  the  whole  service  consisted  of  the 

41 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

Lord's  prayer  and  the  Sermon,  a  beautiful  one  on  To  me 
to  die,'  etc.,  and  very  spiritual.  He  has  a  sweet  voice  and 
excellent  delivery.  For  early  celebration  we  went  as  usual 
to  St.  Cross.  .  .  .  Father  Benson  is  always  preaching 
on  the  same  subject,  the  Eucharist,  and  one  gets  rather 
weary  of  hearing  the  same  thing.  This  afternoon  I  went  to 
the  children's  service  at  St.  Barnabas',  and  was  as  much 
pleased  as  ever;  lots  of  young  men.  This  week  is  the 
dedication  festival,  and  Dr.  King  preaches  there  to-morrow 
night. 

"This  week  the  lectures  begin ;  Liddon  three  times  a  week, 
Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday,  from  11  to  12.  I  be- 
lieve he  also  has  a  Bible  class  Sunday  evenings.  Dr.  King's 
are  Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Saturday,  from  11  to  12.  Dr. 
Bright,  Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday,  from  12  to  1,  on 
the  Extracts  in  Eusebius.  As  I  have  been  reading  West- 
cott  on  the  Canon,  I  see  the  great  importance  of  Eusebius 
and  his  testimony  for  establishing  the  authenticity  of  the 
Canonical  Books,  and  so  I  am  going  to  the  lectures.  He  also 
lectures  on  the  Canons  of  Chalcedon  on  Tuesdays  at  12. 
Dr.  Pusey  lectures  Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Saturday  at  9, 
on  the  Psalms  after  the  50th.  I  am  in  a  quandary  what  to 
do.  I  fear  he  is  too  far  advanced  in  Hebrew  for  me,  but  I 
should  like  to  hear  him  occasionally,  on  the  51st  for  in- 
stance. The  poor  Evangelists  [Father  Benson's  Order] 
have  to  write  Hebrew  prose  compositions.  .  .  .  It  is 
very  hard  to  keep  up  to  my  good  resolutions;  sometimes  I 
am  almost  discouraged,  but  am  still  struggling  on.  Of 
course  one  always  finds  it  hard  to  break  old  habits,  and  then 
sometimes  one's  companions  are  a  little  aggravating.  On; 
pro  nobis.  There  has  been  a  Priests'  Retreat  here,  seventy 
of  them;  it  looked  exactly  like  a  large  brotherhood  as  they 

42 


LETTERS  FROM   OXFORD 

passed  here  daily  on  their  way  to  the  church,  all  in  their 
cassocks,  a  great  many  in  priests'  cloaks,  sonic  few  with 
short  Roman  Catholic  capes  and  birettas.  Is  the  Catholic 
movement  a  failure,  think  you?  All  four  of  the  Bishop's 
chaplains  were  present,  and  last  week  Father  Benson  gave 
a  Retreat  at  the  Bishop's  Palace.  Would  that  our  Bishops 
would  show  themselves  indeed  Fathers  in  God!  Speaking 
of  them,  I  hear  Father  Horatio  (Potter)  spoke  highly  hi 
Convention  of  my  dear  Sisters'  German  work.  I  regret 
to  say  that  I  have  been  suffering  from  rheumatism,  owing 
to  the.  damp  weather  and  cold  church  of  the  Evangelist 
Fathers.  I  hope  it  will  not  be  serious  as  my  family  would 
say  it  was  a  judgment  on  my  coming  here  in  spite  of  the 
Bishop. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"October  24,  1875. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  This  has  been  a  week  of  weeks  for  me,  since 
I  have  now  made  Dr.  Liddon's  acquaintance.  Tuesday 
was  the  day  for  registering  names  for  his  lectures,  so  I 
went  to  his  rooms.  I  mentioned  my  name  to  him,  saying  I 
had  met  him  at  Bonn,  whereui>on  he  appeared  to  remem- 
l>er  me  and  said  we  must  know  each  other,  that  he  would 
be  very  busy  for  a  day  or  two,  but  would  I  come  and 
breakfast  with  him  on  Saturday?  As  you  may  readily 
imagine  I  did  not  decline.  .  .  .  Was  it  not  a  very  kind 
and  encouraging  reception?  He  lectured  twice  last  week, 
and  very  interestingly.  The  room  is  perfectly  quiet;  no 

43 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

one  dreams  of  speaking  or  asking  questions.  He  is  now 
on  the 'seventh  chapter  of  Romans.  He  gave  me  an  analysis 
of  the  preceding  chapters,  and  I  got  him  to  write  my  name 
on  it,  as  coming  from  him. 

"It  is  very  awkward  getting  from  one  lecture-room  to 
another,  for  Dr.  Liddon  lectures  in  the  Clarendon  Building, 
quite  a  distance  from  Christ  Church,  and  we  have  to  run 
and  even  then  come  in  late.  It  is  very  unpleasant,  as  we 
are  rather  marked  by  being  the  only  students  not  wearing 
caps  and  gowns.  Apparently  the  same  men  do  not  go 
to  Dr.  Liddon's  and  Dr.  Bright's  lectures,  which  are  on 
the  same  day.  We  go,  however,  and  what  is  more,  intend 
going. 

"We  were  most  favorably  impressed  by  Dr.  Bright.  He 
is  extremely  interesting,  has  a  very  brisk  and  vivacious  style 
and  is  full  of  humor.  His  subject  is,  'The  Fragments  in 
Eusebius'  History.'  Last  time  it  was  upon  the  missionary 
labors,  martyrdom,  etc.,  of  St.  Thomas,  St.  Andrew,  and 
the  question  of  St.  Peter's  stay  in  Rome.  I  found  it  quite 
delightful,  particularly  as  I  have  been  reading  about  the 
testimonies  of  the  Fathers,  in  Westcott.  Dr.  Bright,  al- 
though intensely  Catholic  and  poetical,  attaches  the  proper 
value  to  apocryphal  legends,  as  beautiful,  sometimes,  but 
not  of  course  of  historical  importance.  He  lectures  on  Tues- 
days on  the  Canons  of  Chalcedon,  so  that  we  shall  have 
Canon  Law. 

"Thursday  was  my  birthday,  and  I  have  now  attained  the 
venerable  age  of  twenty-four,  and  am  beginning  to  feel  the 
weight  of  years.  I  celebrated  the  event  by  going  to  London 
to  stay  with  an  aunt  and  cousin  who  had  just  arrived  from 
home,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  them.  My  mother  sent 
me  over  by  them  a  beautiful  pair  of  sleeve  buttons,  black 

44 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD       , 

onyx,  with  my  monogram  engraved  in  white;  no  gold  set- 
ting showing;  they  are  exquisite,  but  too  handsome  for  poor 
'Brother  Heinrich.'  I  went  to  a  nice  celebration  at  All 
Saints,  Margaret  Street.  I  was  only  a  day  and  a  night  in 
London  and  then  gladly  returned  to  Oxford,  although  I 
had  a  very  pleasant  visit. 

"I  am  sure  you  are  anxious  to  hear  about  my  breakfast 
with  Dr.  Liddon.  It  took  place  in  a  little  cosy  room  open- 
ing into  his  large  library.  We  were  tete-a-tete.  For  love 
of  him  I  ate  sweetbreads.  I  think  first  we  had  fish,  and  he 
had  to  retire  with  a  bone  in  his  throat.  Then  came  what  he 
did  not  speak  of  by  name,  but  I  fear,  were  what  I  never 
could  eat  before,  sweetbreads ;  but  you  would  rather  hear  of 
him.  Well,  he  is  rather  short,  but  not  noticeably  so;  his 
head  quite  large,  his  complexion  dark,  his  eyes  dark,  ex- 
pressive and  beautiful;  his  eyebrows  nearly  meet,  his  nose 
rather  large  and  aquiline,  his  mouth  quite  large,  his  teeth 
white  and  regular  without  being  handsome,  his  chin  decided, 
his  hair  grayish  and  worn  rather  short,  and  small  ul tramon- 
tanes; his  manner  of  speaking  earnest,  his  laugh  simple  and 
hearty,  his  clothes  not  well  cut,  as  if  he  did  not  trouble  about 
them.  He  is  rather  quiet,  so  that  I  had  to  do  most  of  the 
talking.  These  men  never  make  one  feel  out  of  ease  or  pal- 
pably ignorant ;  anything  they  tell  you  they  tell  it  as  if  very 
likely  you  knew  it  already.  We  talked  chiefly  about  travel- 
ing and  the  Conference.  The  Cathedral  service  at  ten  gave 
me  warning  when  to  make  my  exit.  T  said  to  him  that  he 
must  let  me  walk  with  him  sometimes  (it  is  the  custom 
here),  and  he  said  at  once,  'When  shall  it  be?  A  bird  in  the 
hand,  etc.  Will  you  come  to-day  at  two  and  walk?'  Of 
course  I  gladly  .accepted,  being  delighted  to  think  that  I  had 
not  tared  him,  and  that  he  could  stand  any  more  of  my  so- 

45 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

ciety  the  same  day.  At  two  I  presented  myself.  The  weather 
was  showery,  and  the  walking-  shockingly  muddy ;  the  whole 
neighborhood  is  flooded,  roads,  fields,  etc.  I  thought  very 
likely  the  Doctor  would  not  venture  out,  being  delicate,  but 
he  never  omits  his  walks,  so  off  we  started  to  see  the  progress 
of  the  floods.  Having  begun,  nothing  would  stop  him,  so 
we  walked  in  water  up  to  our  ankles,  and  in  one  place  we 
had  actually  to  get  into  a  punt  to  go  from  one  part  of  the 
road  to  the  other;  but  he  stuck  to  his  purpose,  although  he 
was  very  polite  and  offered  frequently  to  turn  back  if  I 
wanted,  but  naturally  where  he  could  go,  I  was  going  too. 
and  though  it  rained  hard  he  minded  it  not  a  bit.  He  said 
he  hated  to  be  balked.  Truly  it  was  a  grand  sermon  for  me. 
who  am  too  ready  to  turn  back  and  give  up.  I  think  I  shan't 
forget  the  lesson.  We  were  gone  three  hours.  He  ex- 
pressed great  sorrow  at  having  been  the  means  of  getting 
me  such  a  wetting,  and  hoped  we  should  have  a  pleasanter 
day  the  next  time,  which  would  be  soon. 

"Liddon  never  preaches  here,  and  is  not  going  to  have 
his  Bible  class  now;  perhaps  he  may  next  term.  You 
asked  about  his  way  of  pronouncing.  It  does  not  strike 
me  as  being  decidedly  broad  or  flat,  but  I  think  inclined 
rather  towards  the  latter.  He  has  also  rather  a  pretty 
stutter. 

"On  St.  Luke's  Day,  in  the  evening,  we  went  to  St.  Bar- 
nabas'. Tt  was  the  week  of  Dedication  Festival,  and  al- 
though a  week  day,  a  large  congregation  was  present.  The 
service  was  very  nice,  with  incense  at  the  Magnificat  and 
during  the  procession.  Canon  King  preached  a  beautiful 
sermon  on  'Only  Luke  is  with  me,'  deducing  from  it  the 
lesson  of  finishing  one's  friendships.  St.  Luke  having  urrit- 
tcn  fu'o  books  for  the  perfecting  of  one  friend,  also  from 

46 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

his  constancy  to  St.  Paul  through  thick  and  thin,  he  dilated 
on  the  little  trouble  we  were  willing  to  take  for  our  friends. 
It  came  with  great  force.  He  alluded  most  affectingly  to 
the  late  Bishop  Forbes.  Dr.  Liddon  told  me  the  last  time 
he  had  walked  in  the  fields  in  which  we  were  walking  had 
been  with  Bishop  Forbes. 

"Dr.  King  preached  to-day  at  the  Cathedral  on  the 
Golden  Rule — as  usual,  excellent.  Dr.  Liddon  has  not  cut 
him  out  at  all  in  my  affections.  This  afternoon  we  heard 
Mr.  Curteis  at  St.  Mary  the  Virgin; — a  very  interesting 
sermon  on  Christ,  the  image  of  the  invisible  God,  dealing 
with  all  the  philosophic  and  scientific  attempts  of  the  day  to 
find  out  God  by  the  human  intellect,  and  the  utter  futility 
of  it.  He  is  the  author,  you  know,  of  'Dissent  and  Church 
of  England/  He  is  quite  young  and  has  a  very  good  face 
and  voice.  I  have  abandoned  the  idea  of  attending  Dr. 
Pusey's  lectures.  Liddon  says  the  old  Doctor  devotes  him- 
self chiefly  to  the  text,  and  to  refuting  objections  which  he 
takes  for  granted  every  one  knows.  I  have  bought  Keil 
and  Delitzsch  and  will  study  by  myself.  .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORO. 

"November  7,  1875. 

"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  It  is  very  refreshing  to  hear  of  a  good  class  at 
the  Seminary,  and  also  that  my  friends  arc  getting  on  well. 
I  have  really  so  much  to  write  that  I  don't  know  where  to 
begin ;  and  so,  as  is  often  the  way,  I  shall  probably  end  by 

47 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

forgetting  the  half  that  I  would  say.  I  heard  an  interest- 
ing sermon  last  Sunday  at  the  University  Church,  by  Mr. 
Ffoulkes,  on  the  evidences  of  Christianity.  He  brought  for- 
ward a  new  one,  the  fact  that  all  the  records  of  antiquity, 
classics,  history,  everything  were  due  to  Christian  care.  If. 
then,  the  classical  authors  are  accepted  as  genuine — and  who 
doubts  them? — then,  as  certainly,  must  the  writings  of  the 
Evangelists  and  Apostles  receive  the  same  treatment  at  the 
hands  of  the  critics.  It  seemed  like  sound  reasoning,  and 
the  persons  to  whom  I  have  spoken  about  it  consider  it  so. 

"...  A  great  feature  of  the  lecture  room  is  the 
perfect  quiet  that  reigns  there;  no  one  thinks  of  speak- 
ing either  to  the  lecturer  or  to  his  neighbor.  There  does 
not  seem  to  be  much  sociability  among  the  men ;  as  a 
rule,  they  do  not  know  each  other ;  of  course  I  am  speaking 
about  University  lectures,  and  not  the  college  ones.  Per- 
haps, too,  the  Theologs  are  more  sober  in  their  deport- 
ment, but  I  have  never  seen  anything  but  the  most  dignified 
behavior  in  the  streets  or  elsewhere.  I  did  not  expect  to 
find  so  young  a  set  of  men ;  to  be  sure,  at  the  schools  one 
sees  older  men  who  are  studying  for  their  degrees,  but  the 
generality  are  not  older  than  the  men  at  our  colleges.  The 
Divinity  students,  with  whom  I  am  most  thrown,  would 
compare  favorably,  I  think,  with  our  seminarians,  though 
there  are  some  scrubby  looking  fellows — one,  who  exasper- 
ates me  by  going  regularly  to  Dr.  Liddon's  lectures,  and  as 
regularly  reading  books  on  Physical  Geography,  etc.,  all  the 
time.  I  suppose  he  goes  merely  to  have  his  name  down  as 
keeping  so  many  terms. 

"Dr.  Bright  continues  to  interest  me  very  much,  and  as 
for  Dr.  King,  he  is  perfect.  There  is  not  a  single  thing 
about  him  that  T  could  wish  changed ;  his  lectures  are  very 

48 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

interesting,  and  he  has  a  splendid  way  of  stating  good  Cath- 
olic doctrine,  so  that  people  cannot  take  alarm  or  offense; 
not  that  he  minces  matters  or  is  in  the  least  underhand. 
He  gives  a  meditation  on  some  point  of  the  priestly  life 
every  Friday  evening,  in  a  little  oratory  he  has  arranged 
with  a  prie-dieu  and  a  large  picture  of  The  Light  of  the 
World.  He  has  a  little  organ  also  and  wears  a  surplice 
and  stole.  He  opens  with  a  hymn  and  prayer  and  closes  in 
like  manner;  then  he  sits  down  between  whiles,  looking  like 
the  dear  saint  he  is,  and  talks,  oh  so  beautifully  about  the 
true  priest's  life.  There  are  about  fifty  or  sixty  men  who 
attend.  It  is  entirely  a  labor  of  love,  as,  of  course,  it  does 
not  belong  to  the  University  course.  Think  of  exerting 
such  an  influence  on  so  many  men!  None  but  a  devoted, 
unselfish  man  would  do  it,  for  of  course  it  takes  time,  and 
he  has  a  great  many  demands  upon  him.  He  never  refuses 
to  see  anybody,  however  busy  he  may  be,  but  gives  a  few 
minutes  to  every  one. 

"I  hear  there  is  a  kind  of  conspiracy  against  the  splendid 
Christ  Church  quartette,  to  try  to  break  it  up;  at  least  it 
seems  so.  Dr.  Liddon  is  spoken  of  as  Bishop  of  Brechin. 
and  Dr.  King  as  Bishop  of  Bombay.  .  Would  it  not  be  out- 
rageous to  take  them  away  from  the  place  where  they  wield 
so  much  power?  I  hope  these  are  only  unfounded  rumors, 
or  that,  at  any  rate,  they  will  not  accept.  Surely  a  State 
appointment  could  not  be  twisted  into  a  call  from  above, 
so  as  to  necessitate  an  acceptance. 

"Have  I  ever  abused  the  Cowley  Fathers  in  my  letters 
to  you?  If  so,  I  retract;  they  are  high  in  favor.  I  have 
just  come  back  from  Even-song  at  their  church ;  it  was 
crowded.  I  noticed  some  "of  our  fellow  theologs  there, 
which  augurs  well.  They  have  been  keeping  up  a  kind  of 

I1.' 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

i  dedication  festival  ever  since  the  18th  of  October,  and 
have  a  procession  with  cross  and  banners  around  the  church 
every  Sunday  evening.  The  Father  preached  a  good  ser- 
mon, too. 

"This  morning  I  went  to  St.  Barnabas'.  They  have  an 
attractive  service  there  always,  and  the  singing  is  grand  in 
its  heartiness.  They  sing  in  unison,  and  use  Gregorian 
tones.  The  vicar  preached  a  sermon  demonstrating  from  the 
Bible,  especially  from  Revelations,  the  propriety  of  using 
incense.  It  was  good  enough,  but  rather  trivial.  They  gave 
an  illustration  of  the  use  of  it  which  of  course  suited  me 
very  well.  I  saw  lots  of  theologs  there. 

"I  am  struggling  on  and  up,  I  hope.  It  is  wonderful 
how,  as  the  spiritual  life  deepens,  one  appreciates  the  beauty 
and  use  of  things  before  unappreciated.  Now,  as  one  draws 
closer  to  the  head,  one  learns  the  truth  and  meaning  of  the 
Communion  of  Saints,  and  realizes  that  one  must  make 
mention  of  those  who  have  finished  their  course  in  faith  and 
hat  the  Blessed  Saints  have  an  interest  in  him  as  one  of 
the  elect  whose  consummation  they  are  praying  for  and 
anxiously  expecting. 

"The  epistle  to  Philemon  was  \  jad  this  morning  as  a 
second  lesson.  I  immediately  thought  of  you,  for  surely  it 
expresses  our  relationship;  it  was  the  coming  to  learn  how 
to  serve  the  Lord  that  threw  us  together;  surely  that  same 
Blessed  Lord  will  ever  protect  and  cement  the  purest  of  all 
friendships — one  begun,  continued,  and  I  trust  it  may  be 
ended  in  Him.  .  ..  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


50 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"November  14,  1875. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

" .  .  .  I  have  not  so  very  much  to  tell  you  this  week, 
still  what  little  there  is  you  shall  have.  I  thought  I  ought 
to  have  another  walk  with  Canon  Liddon,  so  I  stopped  to 
speak  to  him  before  the  lecture  and  asked  him  whether  he 
was  not  going  to  give  me  another  walk.  He  received  me 
very  kindly,  and  said  he  would  that  very  day,  Monday,  so 
I  went  after  him  at  lunch  time,  and  then  we  started  off.  It 
was  a  lovely  day,  and  we  went  up  to  the  hills.  He  talks  so 
pleasantly  and  kindly  that  one  feels  at  perfect  ease  with 
him — at  least  I  do.  I  asked  him  what  he  thought  about 
taking  vows  of  celibacy.  We  had  quite  a  long  talk  about  it. 
He  seems  to  think  it  perfectly  right  to  do  so,  of  course,  after 
very  serious  consideration.  He  naturally  favors  the  single 
state,  although  not  disparaging  marriage  before  ordination, 
a  canon  of  the  undivided  church,  as  you  know,  forbidding 
marriage  of  priests.  I  thought  Mr.  Olmsted  believed  in 
the  Church  and  the  faith,  which  he  used  to  emphasize,  but 
when  bishops  set  the  example  what  can  be  expected  ?  It  is 
horrid  about  Bishop  Hare.  I  would  rather  die  at  my  post, 
and  so  would  Liddon.  He  expressed  himself  so,  apropos 
of  Bishop  Roger. 

"I  consulted  my  angelic  Dr.  King  on  the  same  subject 
some  time  ago.  He  is  a  celibate  himself,  you  know,  but  has 
never  actually  taken  any  vow,  I  understood  him  to  say. 
He  does  not  disapprove  of  them,  but  said  that  circumstances, 
temptations  and  temperaments  would  decide  as  to  their  ne- 
cessity. He  advised  me  to  consult  Mr.  Carter,  but,  as  I  told 
him,  I  considered  his  advice  as  good  as  any  one's;  in  fact. 

51 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

better,  inasmuch  as  he  is  a  practiser  of  all  that  he  preaches. 
I  have  quite  decided  upon  the  step,  the  time  only  is  uncer- 
tain. If  I  had  gone  to  the  Holy  Land  at  Christmas  time, 
as  I  had  thought  of  doing,  I  think  I  should  have  taken  the 
vow  at  the  Holy  Sepulchre  or  one  of  the  sacred  places;  but 
now  that  I  have  nearly  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would 
be  more  profitable  to  stay  here  quietly  and  study,  I  shall 
have  to  settle  upon  another  time  and  place.  But,  to  return 
to  the  Canon. 

"We  had  a  very  pleasant  walk.  We  talked  at  some  length 
on  the  connection  of  the  right  belief  in  the  Incarnation  and 
the  Eucharist.  He  is  always  willing  to  talk  on  any  subject 
I  introduce. 

"Well,  as  you  know,  he  invited  me  to  dinner.  I  went  ex- 
pecting one  or  two  persons,  but  found  a  large  party,  twelve 
in  all.  They  have  an  awkward  way  here  of  not  introducing 
people,  so  I  thought  it  would  have  been  very  stupid,  but  it 
proved  otherwise.  Our  places  were  not  arranged,  but  I 
foolishly  sat  myself  clown  at  the  end  of  the  table  from 
Liddon,  but  was  next  to  Mr.  Dodgson,  the  author  of  'Alice 
in  Wonderland.'  .  He  was  exceedingly  agreeable  and  amus- 
ing. Another  of  the  party  was  Gladstone's  youngest  son,  a 
refined,  handsome  fellow.  I  had  a  little  conversation  with 
him,  and  altogether  we  had  a  very  enjoyable  time. 

"You  cannot  conceive  how  delightful  it  is  to  have  some 
one  to  whom  you  can  go  for  advice,  such  as  my  angelic 
Dr.  King,  though  he  is  not  my  confessor.  I  was  getting 
a  little  disheartened  at  the  amount  of  work  I  ought  to  be 
doing,  and  the  reality.  He  is  always  sympathetic  and  en- 
couraging. I  told  him  my  great  defect,  the  inability  to 
analyze,  so  the  dear  soul,  entering  into  my  difficulty,  took  a 
sermon  and  analyzed  it  for  me,  and  said  I  must  write  him 

52 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

an  analysis  of  a  sermon  every  week  and  he  would  criticize 
it ;  also  he  would  try  to  systematize  my  studies  more  for 
me.  Isn't  he  one  among  ten  thousand  ?  Would  that  we  had 
such  men  at  home !  We  had  a  pleasant  Friday  evening  with 
him  and  discussed  the  subject  of  Conducting  services.  As 
he  does  everything  well  himself,  he  is  fitted  to  teach  others. 
He  is  very  impartial,  giving  occasionally  a  warning  to  the 
advanced  as  to  the  tendency  of  slurring  over  the  pro- 
anaphoral  service  in  this  particular  instance.  He  is  not  in 
the  least  afraid  of  speaking  Catholic  truth,  but  at  the  same 
time  he  does  it  so  as  not  to  offend.  There  were  more  pres- 
ent than  last  week ;  in  fact,  the  oratory  was  crowded. 

"I  went  to  the  Sisters'  little  chapel  this  morning  and 
served  for  Liddon.  He  is  a  beautiful  celebrant;  every  word 
seems  to  come  from  his  heart,  and  he  looks  so  well  in  the 
vestments.  I  had  asked  his  permission  to  serve  the  other 
day,  but  was  not  altogether  sure  he  liked  it,  so  I  said,  after 
the  service,  that  I  hoped  he  did  not  mind  having  a  server. 
He  replied,  'Oh,  no,  it  is  a  great  delight  to  have  you,'  and 
called  me  'dear  friend,'  and  said  we  must  have  another  walk 
soon.  At  the  second  service  I  heard  Father  Benson,  and 
this  afternoon  Jowett.  What  a  varied  experience  in  one 
day.  Liddon,  Benson,  Jowett !  The  latter  is  anything  but 
attractive:  a  great,  round,  fat  face,  with  hooked  nose  and 
retreating  mouth.  He  wears  a  very  low  cut  waistcoat,  white 
choker  and  black  gown.  It  is  rather  a  good  thing  that  he 
does  not  affect  clerical  attire.  His  sermon  was  long  and 
utterly  commonplace,  nothing  unorthodox  really,  but  only 
a  low  conception.  It  was  on  the  'Temple  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  which  temple  ye  are.'  He  began  with  a  long  ac- 
count of  Solomon's  and  the  second  temple,  which  every  one 
might  have  known,  then  the  temple  of  Nature,  then  our 

53 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

souls.     There  was  not  a  single  original  thought  or  expres- 
sion, and  on  such  a  subject,  too!     . 

"The  chapel  of  Balliol  is  handsome;  the  service,  with  its 
very  old  double  Anglican  chants,  reminded  me  of  the  semi- 
nary. The  prayers  were  said  apparently  for  another  con- 
gregation, for  those  present  never  made  them  theirs  by 
responding.  It  is  the  only  service  I  have  been  to  in  England 
where,  in  place  of  the  Magnificat  and  Nunc  Dimittis,  they 
have  sung  the  Cantate  Domino  and  the  Deus  Misereatur. 
The  change  betrays  the  Master's  hand  of  Jowett,  who  prob- 
ably is  unable  to  appreciate  the  Hymns  of  the  Incarnation. 
Such  a  cold  service  I  do  not  wish  to  attend  again.'  . 
I  am  getting  on  very  well,  and  feel  that  I  am  making  prog- 
ress in  the  art  of  meditating  and  in  meditation,  and  I 
realize  as  I  never  could  before  the  great  dogmas  of  our  re- 
ligion. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"November  21,  1875. 
"MY  DEAR  FRANCIS  : 

"  .  .  .  It  is  delightful  to  me  to  study  this  .year  like 
a  responsible  being,  and  not  to  be  forced  to  recite  verbatim 
what  any  received  text-book  contains.  ...  I  wish  you 
could  drop  into  some  of  Dr.  King's  lectures;  the  last  was 
on  Liturgies,  some  of  which  he  deduced  from  the  writings 
of  Tertullian,  Cyprian  and  Augustine.  I  was  astonished 
to  find  them  so  exactly  like,  in  most  respects,  our  present 
advanced  forms.  It  is  splendid  to  have  all  these  points 
forced  upon  the  attention  of  men  who  could  never  dream  of 
reading  them  for  themselves,  for  when  given  by  such  men, 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

in  such  a  way,  they  are  bound  to  make  an  impression. 
And,  strange  to  say,  no  one  is  offended.  We  had  a  beau- 
tiful meditation  on  the  Eternal  Word  before  the  Incarna- 
tion; the  next  two  are  to  be  upon  the  Word  Incarnate  and 
on  earth ;  and  then  on  Him,  now  in  glory. 

"I  went  to  the  Sisters'  this  morning  to  serv  Liddon;  he 
is  such  a  reverent  celebrant,  though  nothing  of  a  ritualist. 
He  called  me  'dear  friend'  again.  Is  it  not  strange  to  be 
writing  about  Canon  Liddon  in  such  a  way? 

"I  had  to  break  off  here  and  go  to  my  dinner  at  Pem- 
broke. I  had  a  charming  time.  It  was  in  the  large  hall, 
but  the  men  have  small  tables  and  kind  of  mess  or  club 
arrangement.  .  .  .  Well,  after  a  pleasant  dinner  we  ad- 
journed to  St.  Barnabas',  which,  as  usual,  was  crowded. 
The  sermon  was  remarkable.  It  was  an  attack  on  Rome, 
owing  to  the  opening  by  that  communion  of  a  new  church 
here  as  a  kind  of  proselyting  establishment.  The  building 
was  intended  for  a  Roman  Catholic  College,  of  which  New- 
man was  to  have  been  the  head,  but  it  was  squelched,  and 
so  they  had  the  building  on  their  hands.  They  have  re- 
sorted to  the  expedient  of  starting  a  church,  although  they 
have  no  people  here  to  fill  it.  Mr.  Noel,  the  preacher,  was 
exceedingly  violent,  and  begged  no  one  to  be  present  at  the 
opening  of  what  he  would  not  call  a  church,  by  a  schismat- 
ical  Bishop  for  the  express  purpose  of  poaching.  Every  one 
who  went  would  be  guilty  of  the  sin  of  schism.  I  did  think 
of  going,  as  I  wanted  to  hear  Manning,  but  I  think  it  would 
be  wrong,  and  so  shall  resist.  .  .  . 

"I  may  go  to  see  Father  Corbet  of  the  Fathers  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  also  some  of  the  Sisterhoods  and  London 
churches,  and,  if  possible,  some  retreat.  I  have  traveled 
much  already,  and  have  no  excuse  for  being  on  the  move 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

for  change  of  scene.  I  am  perfectly  well,  so  health  is  no 
plea.  It  is  good  for  me,  who  have  everything  so  propitious, 
to  begin  and  make  a  little  sacrifice.  I  am  afraid  sometimes 
when  I  think  that  'to  whom  much  is  given  from  him,'  etc., 
etc.  .  .  . 

God  grant  that  we  may  work  together  some  day  as 
Brothers.  Concentration  is  strength,  and  Religious  Orders 
are  a  standing  reminder  to  a  worldly  age  that  true  Christian 
self-abnegation  is  not  a  thing  of  the  past  nor  antagonistic 
to  culture.  .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 
"Advent  Sunday,  November  28,  1875. 

"My  DEAR  FRANCIS  : 

" .  .  .  There  has  been  great  excitement  in  Oxford 
about  the  opening  of  the  Roman  Catholic  clui.pel,  as  they 
call  it.  They  place  it  on  a  footing  with  dissenting  meeting- 
houses, and  so  will  not  call  it  church.  Well,  of  course, 
all  good  Catholics  stayed  away,  the  Confraternity  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  and  the  Brotherhood  of  the  Holy  Trin- 
ity of  Oxford  and  Cambridge  enjoining  it,  and  the  Warden 
of  Keble  and  other  colleges  speaking  very  strongly  against 
it.  You  cannot  conceive  how  very  intensely  they  feel  about 
it,  calling  it  schism  and  every  other  ugly  name.  Undoubt- 
edly Roman  Catholics  stand  on  a  very  different  footing 
here,  and  with  us. 

"I  dined  at  Keble  last  Monday.  It  was  quite  imposing, 
as  there  are  one  hundred  and  twenty  students;  they  all  rose 
as  the  Dons  passed  by,  my  humble  self  among  them.  Rev. 

56 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

Mr.  Mylnc,  my  entertainer,  is  a  very  agreeable  and  genial 
man. 

"Dr.  King  has  been  lecturing  on  the  part  of  Hooker  we 
studied  last  year  and  has  made  it  exceedingly  interesting. 
I  can  hardly  believe  it  to  be  the  same  as  what  we  had  to 
recite  to  Dr.  liuel.  Dr.  King  throws  love  into  every  dogma, 
and  life  at  the  same  time.  I  am  quite  encouraged  at  my 
ability  to  understand  the  Greek  and  Latin  quotations  from 
the  Fathers. 

"We  had  a  most  beautiful  meditation  on  Friday  on  the 
Word  Incarnate  on  earth,  and  Head  of  the  Church  Militant. 
The  room  was  full  to  overflowing.  Dr.  King  inspires  every 
listener,  and  he  has  the  most  wonderful  faculty  of  bringing 
out  of  well-worn  incidents  in  the  Bible  new  and  unthought 
of  lessons.  Speaking  of  the  demoniac  in  the  country  of 
the  Gadarencs,  he  said  there  was  a  road  made  dangerous  by 
the  attacks  of  this  man  possessed,  'so  that  no  one  dared  to 
go  by  that  way.'  That  was  the  very  road  Our  Lord  chose. 
So  must  His  priests  choose  the  ways  where  they  may  be 
insulted,  may  be  injured  bodily;  and  they  must  make  efforts 
to  reclaim  the  men.  Everything  he  says  is  so  perfectly 
simple,  yet  so  true,  and  so  full  of  holy  love.  His  own  life  is 
a  sermon  which  every  one  may  read  and  copy.  .  .  . 

"Did  I  speak  of  Young,  whom  I  met  at  Leary's?  Well, 
he  is  a  most  fascinating  little  man,  very  attractive  looking 
and  very  charming  in  conversation.  He  very  politely  in- 
vited me  to  breakfast  with  him  at  Pembroke.  There  were 
eight  fellows  there,  and  it  was  exceedingly  pleasant.  It 
gave  me  an  idea  how  beautiful  college  life  here  must  be. 
Is  it  not  funny  to  be  entertained  by  people  who  don't  know 
your  name  or  mention  theirs  when  they  give  the  invitation? 
We  came  to  the  conclusion  that  one  of  the  most  effective 

57 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

missionaries  was  a  church  store  where  there  was  an  attrac- 
tive window  and  enticing  little  books  lying  about  in  people's 
way,  the  store  being  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
church,  if  possible,  where  people  would  be  obliged  to  pass 
it  going  to  the  services.  The  talk  began  by  speaking  of  a 
most  enticing  and  gorgeous  shop  opened  here  in  connection 
with  the  so-called  Roman  Schism. 

"Dr.  Pusey  preached  this  morning  to  a  large  congrega- 
tion at  the  Cathedral,  a  beautiful  sermon  on  'Consider  your 
ways.'  They  are  going  to  'restore'  the  University  Church, 
St.  Mary  the  Virgin,  here.  It  is  rather  a  pity,  I  think.  It 
will,  of  course,  improve  the  appearance  of  the  church  from 
an  artistic  point  of  view,  but  it  will  destroy  its  distinctive- 
ness.  The  undergraduates'  gallery  will  be  pulled  down, 
and  the  present  arrangement,  by  which  the  pulpit  is  made 
the  central  point,  around  which  are  arranged  the  seats  for 
the  different  grades  of  scholarship — D.D.,  M.A.,  B.A. — 
altered.  If  you  want  to  see  it  as  in  the  days  when  New- 
man and  others  entranced  the  University,  you  must  come 
over  very  soon.  I  don't  know  when  they  begin  operations ; 
perhaps  it  may  be  deferred,  as  Burgon,  who  is  Vicar,  and 
very  instrumental  in  the  change,  has  been  made  Dean  of 
Chichester.  ...  I  think  perhaps  I  may  run  up  to  Lon- 
don for  Sunday  to  hear  Liddon  in  St.  Paul's.  .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 

"CHARING  CROSS  HOTEL,  LONDON, 

December  5,  1875. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS  : 

"Here  I  am  in  London  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  Lid- 
don, and  I  was  more  than  satisfied  this  afternoon  by  his 

58 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

sermon.  We  went  an  hour  and  a  quarter  before  the  time, 
and  got  to  St.  Paul's  just  as  the  doors  were  opened,  and  so 
succeeded  in  getting  excellent  seats.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
whole  choir  and  the  space  under  the  dome  were  packed. 
There  must  have  been  several  thousand  people,  I  should 
think.  Well,  we  had  Even-song  very  well  sung,  without 
any  accompaniment,  and  then  the  sermon  from  the  epistle 
for  the  day.  'Whatsoever  things  were  written/  etc.  The 
Bible  was  the  theme,  and  grandly  handled;  his  delivery 
was  splendid,  he  was  very  distinct  and  very  impressive. 
The  sermon  was  written,  but  very  flovvingly  delivered.  He 
has  a  way  of  throwing  up  his  head,  as  if  to  give  out  the 
words  with  greater  distinctness  and  emphasis ;  he  used  very 
few  gestures,  but  those  were  very  effective;  the  use  of  the 
hands  varied,  sometimes  using  only  the  forefinger,  at  others 
the  whole  outspread.  His  a's  are  not  broad.  His  face 
looked  very  handsome;  he  seemed  much  excited  and  was 
very  hot.  He  stayed  up  in  the  pulpit  and  sang  the  hymn 
very  heartily,  and  then  gave  the  benediction.  I  was  exceed- 
ingly interested  and,  fearing  to  be  disappointed,  was  the 
more  delighted.  It  lasted  forty-five  minutes,  but  seemed 
short.  He  is  one  of  the  very  few  preachers  whose  sermons 
I  could  wish  to  be  longer;  but  I  must  travel  backwards  in 
my  account. 

"I  went  to  early  celebration  at  All  Saints,  and,  feeling 
quite  at  home  there,  enjoyed  it  very  much.  I  then  went  to 
Mass  at  St.  Anselm's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  to  hear 
Manning.  I  cannot  say  I  feel  altogether  easy  about  going 
to  Roman  Catholic  Churches  in  England,  for  they  are  schis- 
matic here.  Still,  I  went  The  service  was  very  good  :  they 
had  a  male  quartette  choir;  the  treble  boy  had  a  lovely 
voice,  and  so  had  the  tenor,  who  sang  a  beautiful  Ave 

58 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

Maria.  Well,  his  Eminence  preached.  I  had  a  splendid 
seat  in  the  gallery,  directly  opposite  to  him.  He  looks  very 
old  and  is  exceedingly  thin.  He  wore  a  violet  soutane, 
lace  alb,  violet  cape,  and  kept  his  scarlet  biretta  on  all  the 
time,  only  touching  it  when  he  remembered  to  do  so  at  the 
Sacred  Name.  His  text  was,  'We  must  all  appear  before 
the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,'  etc.  Strange  to  say,  he  never 
mentioned  purgatory,  but  said  the  hour  of  death  would  be 
the  hour  of  our  judgment.  He  said  one  thing  I  didn't  quite 
understand  in  speaking  of  our  relationship  to  Our  Lord. 
He  spoke  of  our  having  the  same  Eternal  Father,  and  then 
added,  the  same  Immaculate  Mother,  and  concluded  by 
begging  every  one  to  say  a  'Hail  Mary'  for  those  who  at 
that  moment  might  be  going  to  meet  their  Judge.  Other- 
wise, it  was  exactly  what  any  one  of  our  priests  might  have 
preached.  Of  course,  he  preached  without  notes  and  with- 
out hesitation.  -It  was  very  solemn  and  impressive,  com- 
ing from  such  an  old  man.  The  church  was  not  a  large 
one,  the  congregation  a  poor-looking  lot,  very  few  nice 
people.  On  the  stairs  was  a  mite  box  inscribed  'For  Masses 
for  the  souls  in  Purgatory.'  It  was  singular  the  Cardinal 
should  not  have  mentioned  purgatory  at  all,  wasn't  it? 

"Last  Sunday  night  we  went  to  Segur's  rooms  in  Exeter 
College  to  Compline.  There  were  about  twenty  or  thirty 
men  there,  all  Catholics,  but  a  different  set.  They  were  all 
very  manly  fellows,  quite  old,  many  of  them  great  boating 
men.  It  is  so  pleasant  to  see  such  men  taking  a  lively 
interest  in  the  church.  A  great  many  were  candidates  for 
Orders.  They  all  belong  to  some  church  society  and  have 
Compline  Sundays,  Wednesdays  and  Fridays. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 
60 


IIKNKY    VAN    UKNSSKLAKK   AT   OXFORD 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

December  13,  1875. 

"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS  : 

"  .  .  .  I  left  London  on  Monday,  at  which  time  Bar- 
tholomew expected  to  sail  during-  the  week  for  home. 
What  was  my  surprise  to  get  a  telegram  from  him  the  same 
evening,  saying  that  he  had  changed  his  plans  and  was 
going  to  the  East,  and  asking  me  to  accompany  him,  but  I 
declined.  It  was  a  little  tempting,  for  I  wanted  to  go  to 
the  Holy  Land,  but  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  one  ought 
to  practise  a  little  self-denial  and  not  do  everything  one 
wishes.  Besides,  I  have  a  great  deal  to  learn  yet,  so  I  was 
firm,  and  telegraphed  back,  'No.'  Fancy  me,  if  you  can,  so 
resolute.  I,  who  last  Spring  needed  so  much  bolstering. 
My  whole  life  is  so  completely  changed  by  being  here  I  can 
really  feel  now  that  I  am  alive ;  before  I  was  merely  pass- 
ively existing;  before  I  did  not  know  what  it  was  to  think; 
now  my  faculties  are  being  developed.  Father  Benson 
gave  me  a  shake  mentally  and  set  me  vibrating,  and  Dr. 
King  has  kept  me  going  so  steadily  that  I  hope  to  be  so 
regulated  when  I  leave  them  that  I  shall  be  able  to  keep  up 
to  the  mark. 

"The  Dr.  gave  us  a  beautiful  meditation  on  the  Vision 
of  Isaiah,  sixth  chapter.  The  meetings  are  over  for  the 
nonce.  Next  term  he  will  give  a  course  in  self-examination, 
and  in  Lent  on  the  Seven  Deadly  Sins.  The  dear  soul  has 
to  preach  ten  sermons  this  week,  so  you  can  see  in  what 
demand  he  is.  It  is  a  delight  to  hear  him  treat  any  dogma : 
he  does  it  so  reverently  and  lovingly  and  tenderly  that  one 
learns  to  appreciate  what  the  Faith  is.  It  makes  me  sad  to 
think  of  the  way  the  same  great  subjects  are  treated  at  the 

61 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

G.  T.  S. ;  wrangling,  bitterness,  narrowness ;  love  and  rev- 
erence entirely  eliminated. 

"I  am  trying  to  keep  Advent  Season  very  carefully.  I 
get  up  every  morning  at  five,  and  go  to  Lauds  at  the 
Fathers'  at  six,  followed  by  Prime  and  a  celebration,  and 
then  we  adjourn  to  the  church  for  matins.  I  return  home 
to  breakfast  at  eight.  During  the  day  I  read  and  take  a 
walk.  I  keep  all  the  canonical  hours  and  am  quite  frugal 
in  my  fare.  I  find  it  very  satisfactory.  My  meditations  are 
improving,  and  altogether  I  am  quite  encouraged  in  my 
efforts  for  a  deeper  and  more  spiritual  life.  Although  so 
entirely  alone,  I  do  not  feel  at  all  lonely,  but  am  very  happy. 
I  am  beginning  to  realize  what  it  is  to  have  one's  life  hid 
with  Christ,  and  to  feel  that  He  is  indeed  the  Life.  Any-* 
thing  that  holds  us  back  from  Him  must  be  gladly  thrown 
away,  cheerfully  given  up. 

"I  have  been  reading  a  French  book  of  the  Abbe  Per- 
reyve,  'Meditations  snr  les  Saints  Ordres.'  My  spirit  is 
stirred  that  all  Roman  Catholic  priests  should  count  it  all 
joy  to  give  up  for  Christ,  and  speak  of  that  entire  'abandon' 
and  'detachemcnt,'  while  the  great  mass  of  Anglican  Catho- 
lics, not  at  all  advanced,  should  be  content  to  mix  up  the 
service  of  God  and  the  world.  Oh,  what  selfishness,  what 
a  low  view  of  the  priestly  life!  Let  us  give  ourselves  in- 
deed to  Him ;  not  any  half  offering,  which  cannot  be  accept- 
able to  Him.  .  .  . 

"December  14. 

"  .  .  .  We  had  a  fine  sermon  on  the  day  of  Interces- 
sion, from  Dr.  King,  at  the  University  Church.  Although 
a  week-night,  the  church  was  crowded.  The  dear  man  has 
great  power.  Last  week  he  gave  a  splendid  lecture  on  the 
Eucharist,  proving  from  the  Fathers  a  real  objective  pres- 

62 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

ence.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  we  shall  miss  his  last  lecture 
to-morrow.  His  Friday  meditation  was  beautiful.  It  was 
on  the  lessons  to  be  learnt  from  Our  Lord's  life  now  in 
Heaven,  as  Intercessor.  One  point  was,  when  priests  grow 
too  old  to  preach  and  do  active  work,  they  ought  not  to 
think  they  have  nothing1  more  to  do;  let  them  rejoice  that 
young  men  should  do  their  former  active  duties,  leaving  to 
them  more  time  at  the  altar  for  their  flock,  and  living  a 
more  hidden  life  with  God.  But  I  can't  begin  to  do  justice 
to  the  theme.  The  lecture  was,  as  usual,  very  well  at- 
tended. .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"December  19.  1875. 
"My  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  This  last  week  has  gone  very  uneventfully, 
and  the  time  seems  to  go  very  quickly.  I  do  not  seem  to 
accomplish  very  much  reading,  but  I  certainly  am  begin- 
ning to  grasp  theology.  I  am  very  much  interested  in  Wil- 
berforce  on  the  Incarnation.  I  like  the  tone;  it  is  so  rever- 
ential. I  am  getting  to  understand  what  the  Incarnation 
really  is.  I  think  too  many  people  believe  in  it  as  a  thing 
of  the  past.  I  am  sure  that  I,  for  my  part,  never  until  very 
lately  began  to  realize  it.  I  enjoy  Forbes  on  the  Creed 
and  Articles,  too,  exceedingly.  I  go  through  Browne,  as  a 
matter  of  duty,  first,  always  feeling  f^rotcstant  to  his  state- 
ment, and  then  fall  back  on  Forbes  for  support.  I  am  try- 
ing to  get  a  general  idea  of  Ecclesiastical  History,  but  find 
it  very  confusing,  particularly  the  early  and  middle  cen- 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN    RENSSELAER 

turies;  yet  it  is  so  very  necessary  when  one  appeals  to  an- 
tiquity to  be  able  to  give,  as  it  were,  chapter  and  verse. 

"I  am  becoming  quite  ascetic,  more  so  than  Mrs.  Al- 
clridge,  my  good  landlady,  thinks  good  for  me,  and  I  have 
taken  her  advice  and  moderated  a  little.  My  diet  was  the 
point  in  question,  as  I  was  confining  myself  pretty  much  to 
vegetable  food.  I  really  think  it  is  good  for  one's  mind; 
at  least  I  found  it  so.  Mrs.  A.  says  I  have  been  living  too 
low,  and  that  it  is  very  wrong  to  do  so  in  this  climate, 
where  one  requires  animal  food  and  some  kind  of  drink.  I 
am  rather  convinced  that  there  is  some  truth  in  it.  She 
scared  me  by  telling  me  that  I  should  have  boils  and  all 
kinds  of  troubles  if  I  were  not  careful,  so  verbum  sap.  I 
have  reformed  a  little  as  to  food,  but  not  as  to  drink.  I 
must  say,  though,  it  does  destroy  one's  spirituality  a  little, 
at  least  mine,  but  I  am  an  odd  case.  I  have  been  successful 
in  waking  up  at  the  right  time  this  last  week,  at  about  five, 
so  that  I  have  been  able  to  go  every  morning  to  Lauds  at 
six  at  the  Mission  House,  staying  through  Prime  and  Cele- 
bration. I  find  it  all  a  great  help ;  then  Matins  at  7  :30  and 
breakfast  at  8.  I  am  so  monkish  that  I  even  read  through 
mealtime  Baring-Gould's  Lives  of  the  Saints.  I  hope  I  am 
imbibing  some  of  the  martyr  spirit.  I  was  much  struck  by 
a  passage  where  he  is  speaking  about  the  monks  in  Egypt, 
and  the  effect  they  had  in  advancing,  or  at  least  in  keeping 
alive,  the  spirit  of  Christianity.  Contrasting  it  with  the 
spirit  of  the  present  age,  its  unbelief,  skepticism,  Arianism 
and  infidelity,  he  says,  'Such  an  age  as  this  seems  one  meet 
for  the  revival  of  the  hermit  life  as  a  witness  for  the  truth 
and  a  protest  against  luxury.  This,  and  this  only,  as  far  as 
we  can  judge,  will  meet  the  great  want  of  the  day.  It  is  not 
preaching  that  will  recover  the  multitude  lapsed  into  re- 

64 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

ligious  indifference ;  it  must  be  the  example  of  men,  believ- 
ing with  such  fiery  faith  that  they  sacrifice  everything  the 
world  holds  precious  for  the  sake  of  the  truth,  that  Jesus 
Christ,  the  everlasting  God,  came  into  the  flesh.' 

"This  is  a  long  quotation  to  give  you,  but  it  almost  ex- 
actly expresses  my  feelings  on  the  subject.  The  more  I  see, 
the  more  absurd  it  seems  to  me  for  men  to  preach  what 
they  do  not  try  or  pretend  to  carry  out.  Take  any  of  our 
clergy.  In  what  are  their  lives  better  than  those  of  unbe- 
lievers? What  self-denial  are  they  willing  to  practise?  Ab- 
solutely none  in  reality,  although  perhaps  much  in  their  talk 
and  sermons.  As  to  the  hermit  part,  I  would  alter  that  a 
little.  An  example  of  a  self-denying  priest  in  a  parish 
would  undoubtedly  have  an  immense  influence  for  good, 
and  it  is  astonishing  how  in  small  things  example  tells.  I 
often  remember  an  incident  in  Dr.  Dix's  former  life:  the 
warden  of  Bellevue  Hospital,  a  plain  Roman  Catholic,  went 
to  see  him  on  business,  a  Friday,  at  dinner  time.  He  was 
shown  into  the  dining-room,  and  was  at  once  impressed 
with  the  frugality  of  the  meal,  only  a  little  fish.  'Why, 
Dr.  Dix,'  he  said  afterwards,  'must  be  a  real  Catholic.' 

"Now,  in  reading  about  .these  Saints — I  don't  mean  Dr. 
Dix,  but  to  return— one  is  struck  by  their  being  in  most 
cases  men  and  women  of  no  great  or  especial  talents ;  and 
I  find  great  comfort  in  the  thought  that  no  one  is  too  small 
or  insignificant  to  be  able  to  witness  to  the  truth.  Some 
day,  may  God  grant  that  I  may,  however  feebly,  do  it ;  but 
'I' union  c'est  la  force.'  Could  we  not  band  ourselves  to- 
gether, living  witnesses  to  a  worldly  generation,  that  the 
Christian  spirit  of  self-denial  and  renunciation  is  not  dead? 
At  least  we  could  try.  I  believe  that  I  have  a  decided  voca- 
tion, but  shall  take  no  steps  for  the  present ;  only  try  and 

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LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

cultivate  the  spirit  as  much  as  possible.  Don't  think  the 
Fathers  have  been  influencing  me.  I  have  never  spoken  a 
word  to  them  on  the  subject.  I  fully  believe  it  is  the  call 
of  a  Higher  Power;  I  feel  it  in  all  I  do,  wherever  I  go; 
nothing  that  is  not  connected  with  the  higher  life  seems  to 
have  any  interest  for  me. 

"I  went  to  the  Ordination  Day  at  the  Cathedral;  there 
were  about  twenty  candidates — priests  and  deacons.  Dr. 
King  asked  me  to  lunch  with  him  to  meet  Bishop  Mac- 
karness  and  his  chaplains.  The  Bishop's  wife  was  there! 
She  is  very  pleasant.  Altogether  it  was  a  very  interesting 
lunch.  Dr.  Bright  was  very  lively  and  amusing.  My  Doc- 
tor charming  as  usual;  isn't  he  good  to  think  of  me  when 
he  believes  it  would  be  well  for  me  to  meet  people?  The 
Bishop  ordained  seated ;  it  is  much  more  dignified  than  do- 
ing it  in  a  bunch.  I  do  not  regret  at  all  my  decision  to  stay 
here,  for  I  am  very  happy.  I  have  just  finished  Bossuel 
and  his  contemporaries.  I  had  the  greatest  admiration  for 
him  at  the  outset,  but  I  must  say  I  was  exceedingly  disap- 
pointed in  him.  It  is  sad  to  read  of  his  end  and  his  treat- 
ment of  Fenelon.  Have  you  read  it?  He  had  great  long- 
ings for  reunion  and  would  have  bitterly  opposed  infallibil- 
ity, etc.  .  .  .  With  best  wishes  for  the  New  Year,  the 
year  of  so  much  importance  to  us.  .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY," 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 
"St.  Stephen's  Day,  December  26,  1875. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

"  .  .  .  You  ought  to  be  here  to  look  after  me,  for 
I  am  in  a  very  dangerous  state.  The  Cowley  Fathers  quite 

06 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

look  upon  me  as  one  of  themselves.  What  if  I  should  be? 
I  really  think  I  have  quite,  if  not  altogether,  a  vocation  for 
the  religious  life;  whether  as  developed  at  Cowley  or  not 
remains  to  be  seen.  I  have  been  there  a  great  deal  lately, 
and  enjoy  keeping  the  canonical  hours.  I  don't  know  if  I 
had  better  keep  on  going  or  not,  but  I  shall  consult  Dr. 
King  as  soon  as  he  comes  back.  Perhaps  it  would  be  as 
well  to  try  myself  a  little.  There  is  no  intention  on  my  part 
of  doing  anything  rash,  so  don't  be  alarmed.  I  shouldn't 
think  of  joining  or  doing  anything  definite  before  I  am 
thirty  years  old.  The  Fathers  I  like  very  well.  I  took  tea 
there  and  went  to  vespers  yesterday,  but  I  declined  dining, 
as  I  should  have  to  write  an  account  of  my  Christmas  dinner 
to  my  mother ;  nor  have  I  mentioned  the  dangerous  proxim- 
ity to  the  Mission  House;  it  would  worry  or  alarm  her 
needlessly.  I  passed  a  very  happy  Christmas,  though  I 
missed  the  midnight  Mass. 

"I  went  to  High  Celebration  at  St.  Barnabas',  and  heard  a 
very  good  sermon  given  by  the  curate,  extempore,  but  very 
fluent  and  to  the  point.  I  much  prefer  him  to  the  vicar.  I 
had  dinner  solus:  then,  as  I  said  before,  had  Vespers  and 
tea  at  the  Fathers,  and  went  to  Even-song  at  their  church, 
where  Father  Benson  preached  an  excellent  sermon.  I 
could  scarcely  realize  it  was  Christmas  Day,  for  it  was  like 
spring — a  mild,  pleasant  day — and  then  so  many  services 
and  so  well  attended.  The  evening  service  was  crowded. 
Imagine  it  in  our  churches  on  Christmas!  Why,  everyone 
would  be  gorging  himself  at  dinner! 

"I  went  this  afternoon  to  the  Sisters  with  Father  Pres- 
cott  and  read  the  lessons;  it  reminded  me  of  last  winter. 
The  Father  preached  a  little  sermon.  The  chapel  was  very 
prettily  decorated.  Tt  is  so  hard  to  believe  that  I  am  myself 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

at  all,  everything  is  so  strange.  I  am  unnatural,  I  suppose, 
but  quite  happy  here ;  of  course  I  should  like  to  be  at  home. 
And  now  if  I  thought  you  would  answer  any  questions,  I 
would  ask  you  what  you  think  of  my  case.  Would  you 
avoid  the  Fathers  until  the  danger  be  passed,  or  not?  Father 
Prescott  seemed  to  insinuate  to-night  that  it  was  a  matter- 
of-course  that  I  should  join  the  Society.  I  need  not  say  it 
is  nothing  of  the  kind;  in  fact,  I  have  no  desire  to  join  an 
English  Society.  I  think  it  would  be  much  better  to  be 
trained  in  the  United  States  if  one  is  to  be  trained.  My  old 
tormentor,  the  Irish-American  clergyman,  has  turned  up 
again,  but  I  have  not  had  much  to  say  to  him;  besides  I 
am  much  more  settled  now  than  when  he  bothered  me  be- 
fore. He  is  certainly  most  unfortunate — hasn't  a  cent  of 
money  and  nothing  to  do. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"January  12,  187fi. 
"MY  DEAR  FRANCIS  : 

".  .  .  It  was  delightful  to  hear  that  you  had  daily 
Celebration.  How  much  you  are  gaining!  .  .  .  How 
primitive  you  are  with  your  alb,  but  I  did  not  know  any- 
body but  the  celebrant  wore  the  amice.  I  must  tell  you  what 
I  did  on  Epiphany — went  with  Father  Maturin*  to  the 
nunnery  and  served  him  and  acted  as  thurifer.  I  was 
dreadfully  scared,  as  you  know  I  have  hardly  ever  served 


*  Father  Basil  William  Maturin,  one  time  a  Cowley  Father,  was  re- 
ceived into  the  Church  by  Father  Pope,  S.J.,  at  Beaumont,  in  1897,  and 
was  ordained  by  Cardinal  Vaughan  in  1898. 

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LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

and  did  not  know  anything  about  the  use  of  incense,  at  least 
very  little.  I  have  seen  it  used  at  St.  Barnabas'  twice,  but 
not  expecting  to  be  thurifer  myself,  did  not  remark  it  espe- 
cially. I  got  through  very  well,  however.  I  swung  the< 
censer  all  through  the  Prayer  of  Consecration — I  suppose 
you  would  call  it  the  Canon  of  the  Mass.  I  am  exceedingly 
fond  of  incense  and  think  it  most  beautiful  and  appropriate. 
I  can  scarcely  write  as  I  have  chilblains,  and  my  hands  are 
much  swollen,  but  I  hope  you  can  read  this.  I  had  to  wear 
the  most  absurdly  short  cotta  with  deep  lace.  I  am  afraid 
I  am  decidedly  elephantine  in  my  movements,  but  console 
myself  by  thinking  that  even  they  have  a  certain  amount  of 
grace — I  mean  dignity. 

"This  week  the  Mission  is  in  full  force.  And  such  a 
Mission!  I  would  you  were  here  with  me.  It  began  on 
Saturday  by  a  service  at  the  Cathedral  which  wa's  crowded ; 
the  Bishop  addressed  the  missioners  in  an  episcopal  style, 
with  a  little  twaddle;  still,  as  he  had  encouraged  and  invited 
them  to  come,  knowing  that  the  majority  would  assuredly 
do  everything  Catholicly,  one  easily  overlooked  any  expres- 
sion for  the  sake  of  the  deed,  and  after  all  he  really  said 
nothing  disagreeable. 

"On  Sunday  I  went,  morning  and  evening,  to  St.  Barna- 
bas', where  Mr.  Randall  of  Clinton,  a  celebrity,  and  Mr. 
Coles,  were  the  priests.  Mr.  Randall  is  quite  an  old  man, 
over  sixty  I  should  say ;  he  is  the  preacher.  He  gave  a  rous- 
ing sermon  on  the  text,  'Friend,  wherefore  art  thou  come?' 
and  it  was  very  thrilling.  In  the  evening  he  was  still  more 
impressive.  He  has  a  very  grave,  thin  face,  and  looks  as  if 
he  had  fasted  often;  he  has  a  good  deal  of  gesture.  He 
spoke  most  openly  of  confession,  and  gave  an  instance  of  a 
lady  being  saved  from  despair  by  a  priest,  which  priest,  at 

69 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

the  end,  he  declared  himself  to  be.  No  sooner  is  the  sermon 
over  than  Mr.  Coles  mounts  the  pulpit  to  instruct.  He  is  of 
an  entirely  different  style,  younger  and  stout;  he  is  a  great 
friend  of  Dr.  King  and  has  imitated  him  in  his  ways.  I 
met  him  several  months  ago  at  the  Doctor's  house.  Well, 
Mr.  Randall  has  roused  the  people  tremendously ;  then  Mr. 
Coles  proceeds  to  soothe  them  by  his  teaching;  he  is  very 
calm  and  gentle  and  simple.  He  explained  the  first  part  of 
the  Creed.  At  the  door  are  stationed  two  other  priests  who 
hand  everybody  a  tract  and  speak  to  those  who  they  think 
require  it. 

"On  Monday  Dr.  King  told  me  I  ought  to  hear  Walsham 
House,  who  was  to  preach,  so  I  obediently  went,  but  was 
not  much  edified,  fbr  it  was  at  St.  Mary  the  Virgin,  which 
is  high  and  dry  exceedingly.  It  was  not  in  the  least  like  a 
mission,  but  only  a  Prot.  parody.  The  sermon  in  itself  was 
excellent,  but  there  was  nothing  to  follow  it  up;  still  it  is  a 
good  sign  when  such  churches  are  willing  to  join  in  the 
movement  instead  of  protesting. 

"Last  night  I  went  to  St.  Thomas  the  Martyr  (Catholic), 
where  a  Mr.  Ponsonby  and  the  dear  Dr.  King  are  mis- 
sioners.  Oh,  such  a  crowd  of  such  people  I  never  saw 
tefore.  The  church  is  in  the  worst  part  of  Oxford,  near 
the  railroad  and  the  canal.  The  men  were  there  in  smock 
frocks,  with  torn  coats,  and  rags,  and  black  hands  and  faces. 
The  women  with  babies,  and  such  poor,  wretched  people ;  it 
did  one's  heart  good  to  see  them  in  such  a  place.  Mr.  P. 
preached  very  well,  really  eloquent  at  times,  and  very  lively, 
and  the  hymns,  oh,  the  Methodistical  tunes  they  sang! 
After  the  sermon  Dr.  King  instructed  about  Confession. 
You  should  have  heard  him!  It  was  the  boldest,  most 
courageous  thing  in  him  to  do,  for,  just  think  of  his  posi- 

70 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

tion,  and  in  Oxford,  too!  Confession  is  one  of  his  hobbies, 
lie  was  grand!  He  proved  it  most  clearly  out  of  the  Bible 
and  prayer-book — their  prayer-book  is  much  better  than 
ours — and  the  people  were  most  attentive.  I  talked  with 
the  Doctor  after  the  service,  and  he  said  he  enjoyed  work- 
ing among  such  people — think  of  it — he,  the  most  refined, 
sensitive,  gentle  nature.  It  was  delightful  to  hear  him  talk 
in  such  a  way.  You  should  have  seen  the  assistant  priests 
in  their  cassocks  and  birettas,  talking  to  the  people,  going 
into  the  streets  and  bringing  them  in. 

"The  whole  city  is  given  up  to  the  mission.  All  the 
shops  are  closed  early  every  evening  to  give  the  people  a 
chance  to  attend.  We  in  the  United  States  could  never  have 
such  advantages,  and  then  the  clergy  here  can  speak  so 
much  more  authoritatively,  particularly  when  the  Bishop 
has  sanctioned  it.  They  are  undoubtedly  doing  a  grand 
work,  but  just  think  for  a  moment  of  such  a  thing  at  home! 
Where  would  the  priests  come  from?  These  missionaries 
are  all  secular,  but  they  are  very  spiritual  men  as  well  as 
pretty  thoroughly  grounded  in  doctrine,  though  there  is  a 
good  deal  of  machinery  to  work.  But  all  in  good  time. 
First  the  seed — but  how  about  the  seed  when  such  men  as 
you  say  that  we  can't  l>e  ordained  in  the  Church? 

"Your  idea  of  a  Brotherhood  of  love  at  Ilolxiken  is  very 
engaging.  I  am  very  much  interested  in  the  Oratory  and 
have  been  reading  the  life  of  Henri  Perreyve,  who  revived 
the  Oratory  in  France.  He  is  a  most  lovely  character. 
Couldn't  we  do  something  of  the  kind  ?  The  Bishop  would 
never  allow  me  to  leave  New  York  at  present,  I  fear.  I 
hope  he  won't  be  disagreeable  to  me.  ...  I  had  a 
letter  from  -  -  to-day  from  Pisa;  he  is  on  his  way  home 
to  rescue  me  from  the  Evangelist  Fathers,  as  my  letter  to 

71 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

him  alarmed  him  for  my  safety.  He  is  very  Protestant 
since  being  at  Rome — alas,  who  isn't?  It  is  a  pity  though 
for  him,  but  he  ought  to  have  the  sense  to  see  beauty  in  the 
use  of  what  is  detestable  when  abused. 

"As  to  vows,  I  have  done  nothing  yet,  for  I  had  a  cor- 
respondence with  Mr.  Carter  of  Clewer,  but  found  it  im- 
possible to  arrive  at  any  conclusion  by  letters,  so  I  expect 
to  see  him.  They  all  say  he  is  very,  very  cautious,  and  ad- 
vises taking  vows  for  a  time  as  a  probation.  Be  careful, 
then ;  do  nothing  rash,  although  it  seems  absurd  for  us  who 
have  thought  of  it  so  much  and  so  long  to  talk  about  being 
rash  and  doing  things  in  a  hurry.  Still,  you  are  so  young, 
but  guard  your  name  as  much  as  possible  from  gossip.  One 
can't  be  too  careful ;  it  is  so  horrid  for  those  devoted  to  the 
Lord  to  be  talked  about.  .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"January  23,  1876. 
"My  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

"...  I  don't  remember  exactly  where  I  left  off  in 
my  account  of  the  mission.  Did  I  speak  of  St.  Frides- 
wide?  Well,  it  was  too  ultra  to  suit  me.  They  were  so 
very  Catholic  that  they  forgot  their  dignity  and  became 
mere  Methodist  ranters.  The  sermon  was  not  so  bad,  but 
the  instruction  which  took  up  the  same  subject  was  terrible 
to  me.  It  was  on  the  Crucifixion.  The  missioner  imagined 
and  invented  all  kinds  of  horrible  jests  and  sarcasms  said 
by  the  Roman  soldiery,  and  drew  the  most  revolting  picture 
of  Our  Lord's  appearance.  It  was  sickening.  I  disliked 

72 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

the  man's  looks,  too;  he  had  long  red  hair  and  beard  and 
wore  a  cassock  with  a  short  cape  and  silver  cross  in  front. 
Now  you  know,  I  like  a  cassock  and  certainly  a  cross,  but 
then  there  are  different  ways  of  wearing  them.  After  the 
instruction  the  missioners  went  up  and  down  the  aisle 
making  extempore  prayers  and  ejaculations,  in  which  Our 
Lord's  name  was,  to  my  mind,  most  irreverently  used,  with- 
out any  qualifying  epithet.  It  struck  me  as  being  very 
forced.  To  cap  the  climax,  the  Irishman,  my  constant  at- 
tendant, whose  clerical  clothes  were  concealed  by  his  over- 
coat, was  attacked  by  one  of  the  priests,  and  inquiries  made 
as  to  the  state  of  his  soul,  and  whether  he  received  the  mes- 
sage, but  he  didn't  disclose  his  clerical  character.  I  was 
utterly  disgusted.  It  only  shows  that  the  step  between  the 
sublime  and  the  ridiculous  must  be  carefully  attended  to. 

"It  was  very  much  the  same  thing  at  SS.  Philip  and 
James',  only  everything  was  done  in  the  most  dignified  way 
possible.  The  Canon,  who  is  Principal  of  Cuddleston,  was 
the  missioner.  He  is  an  excellent  preacher  and  drew  well. 
The  church  is  free,  and  the  congregation  would  correspond 
to  Trinity  Chapel,  with  a  sprinkling  of  poor  people.  He 
preached  a  fine  sermon  on  religious  presumption,  which  im- 
pressed me  very  strongly.  He  handled  Confession  most 
ably,  introducing  the  subject  in  the  most  plausible  way. 
Perhaps  he  left  too  much  of  a  loop-hole  for  people  to  escape. 

"Last  Sunday  afternoon  there  was  an  address  for  men, 
and  the  church,  a  large  one,  was  well  filled.  The  address 
was  excellent,  proving  that  religion  was  not  in  the  least  an- 
tagonistic to  everyday  life.  He  has  a  very  manly  and  honest 
way  of  putting  things  that  is  very  effective.  In  the  evening, 
after  the  sermon,  the  assistant  missioner  made  a  few  re- 
marks and  then  read  about  self-examination  on  the  Com- 

73 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 
« . 

mandments,  the  idea  being  that  a  man's  sins  would  be 
brought  prominently  forward,  and  he  would  be  led  to  see 
the  need  of  confession;  the  Canon  meanwhile  going  about 
among  the  kneeling  congregation  and  speaking  as  he  saw 
fit.  It  was  really  the  same  thing  as  at  St.  Frideswide's,  but 
the  difference  in  the  manner  of  doing  things  was  very 
marked.  I  ought  to  say  that  I  hear  that  the  mission  at 
St.  Frideswide's  has  been  successful,  though  it  was  a  com- 
moner congregation  to  be  sure. 

"There  was  a  Mr.  Boddington  at  St.  Cross  who  was 
really  splendid ;  he  gave  excellent  addresses  to  men  and  had 
a  wonderful  flow  of  language.  I  heard  him  on  non-com- 
municating attendance.  It  was  capital. 

"At  St.  Barnabas'  the  mission  has  been  so  successful 
that  they  have  kept  it  up  all  the  week  to  follow  up  the  im- 
pression they  had  made.  Certainly  Mr.  Randall  is  the  most 
striking  speaker  I  ever  listened  to.  Last  Sunday  the  sermon 
on  Hell  was  terrific,  and  yet  not  at  all  sensational,  but  only 
fearfully  real  and  earnest.  He  has  a  great  power  in  telling 
incidents,  is  very  dramatic,  without  l>eing  stagy,  is  old  and 
venerable  looking,  and  his  voice  thrills  you  through  and 
through.  I  would  sit  there  trembling.  It'  has  made  a  won- 
derful impression  on  me.  The  very  fact  of  seeing  so  many 
men  at  such  a  glorious  work  inspires  me.  What  a  wondrous 
power  has  been  given  to  the  priests  here  through  retreats! 

"I  have  been  reading  some  of  Newman's  University  ser- 
mons with  great  pleasure.  What  a  splendid  one  that  is  on 
Responsibility.  I  have  been  very  much  interested  in  the 
life  of  Abbe  Henri  Perreyve,  the  favorite  of  Lacordaire, 
and  a  lovely  character,  a  man  of  great  ability,  who  came 
to  an  early  grave  through  an  utter  disregard  of  his  life. 
I  am  learning  a  lesson  of  the  proper  use  of  one's  strength 

74 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

'ad  majorem  Dei  gloriam.'  Pere  Gratry,  who  writes  the 
book,  speaks  very  plainly  about  the  way  Perreyve,  who  was 
the  apple  of  his  eye,  overdid  things,  thus  depriving  the 
Church  of  a  wondrous  power.  He  was  especially  great 
with  children.  .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately; 

"HENRY." 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"January  30,  1876. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  Speaking  about  Confession,  I  am  convinced 
that  multitudes  of  young  men  would  be  saved  had  they  such 
a  safeguard.  .  .  .  Last  Sunday  night  the  mission  at 
St.  Barnabas'  ended.  The  church  was  thronged,  the  service 
grand,  and  they  sang  High  Kven-song.  Do  you  know  what 
that  is?  Perhaps  not,  so  I  will  tell  you.  The  priest  wears  a 
cope  and  biretta  and  says  the  service  in  the  Sanctuary  at 
one  side  of  the  altar,  and  incenses  it.  Mr.  Randall  preached 
a  very  fine  sermon  on  St.  Mary  Magdalen.  He  is  certainly 
a  most  striking  preacher,  and  by  no  means  minces  matters. 
It  was  very  good  for  the  undergrads  to  hear.  At  the  end 
of  the  service  they  sang  Te  Deum  for  the  successful  mis- 
sion. It  was  grand.  Mr.  Noel  was  at  the  altar  in  his  cope, 
a  very  handsome  embroidered  white  one.  The  censer  was 
kept  swinging  and  the  processional  Cross  was  held  facing 
the  altar,  with  acolytes  bearing  candles  on  each  side,  and 
others  carrying  large  handsome  banners,  with  faces  toward 
the  altar.  The  Te  Deum  was  plain-song,  and  all  the  large 
congregation  joined  in  most  heartily.  The  effect  was  splen- 
did. At  the  conclusion  the  procession  marched  round  the 
church,  singing  'Crown  Him  with  many  Crowns.' 

75 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

"On  Monday  I  dined  at  Dr.  King's  to  meet  Mr.  Randall 
and  Mr.  Coles,  the  two  missioners.  I  had  a  charming  time. 
They  told  many  interesting  anecdotes  and  reminiscences 
about  Manning  and  Newman  and  Wilberforce.  Mr.  Ran- 
dall is  very  entertaining  indeed,  and  so  is  Mr.  Coles.  He 
very  kindly  asked  me  to  come  and  stay  with  him  and  see  a 
country  parish.  Very  likely  I  shall  go  after  Easter, 
D.  V.  .  .  . 

"College  men  here  do  not  mix  even  among  themselves 
without  a  formal  introduction.  You  see  them  sitting  day  by 
day  in  the  lecture  rooms  and  never  speaking  or  making  each 
other's  acquaintance.  You  are  on  no  account  to  imagine 
that  I  have  not  had  a  delightful  and  exceedingly  profitable 
time  at  Oxford.  I  have  kept  pretty  steadily  at  work,  tried 
to  cultivate  the  inner  life,  and  have  not  cared  much  for 
external  things  at  all.  The  friends  I  have  made  I  have  not 
followed  up,  simply  because  I  did  not  care  to  waste  time  or 
distract  myself.  Undoubtedly  I  could  have  made  many  more 
had  I  cared  to.  I  was  very  much  pleased,  on  going  to  Canon 
Liddon's,  to  find  that  he  remembered  me  perfectly  and 
asked  if  I  had  gone  to  the  East  as  I  had  planned.  It  was 
quite  a  thing  to  be  remembered  by  one  who  sees  so  many. 
He  made  some  very  kind  remarks  about  seeing  me 
often.  .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"February  6,  1876. 
"MY  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  .  I  have  received  a  most  charming  letter  from 
my  Bishop  in  answer  to  mine.  He  wrote  the  day  after  re- 

76 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

ceiving  'my  welcome  note,'  expressing  his  pleasure  at  all  the 
kindnesses  I  was  being  shown.  He  particularly  commends 
me  'to  his  dear  and  honored  friend,  Dr.  Pusey.'  He  en- 
closes me  his  blessing  and  calls  me  'his  dear  friend,'  and 
concludes  'most  affectionately.'  He  likewise  sends  me  the 
most  flattering  commendatory  letter,  which  could  never 
possibly  be  shown  to  any  one.  He  says,  moreover,  he  had 
intended  to  give  it  to  me  before  I  left,  but  had  not  the  op- 
portunity, and  somehow  his  delicacy  prevented  his  sending 
it  through  my  mother.  Imagine  my  feelings  on  hearing  of 
such  magnanimity.  I  was  quite  overcome,  I  assure  you. 
I  have  had  many  prickings  of  conscience  on  the  subject  of 
my  behavior  to  him.  I  really  did  not  deserve  much  kind- 
ness or  politeness  at  his  hands,  for  however  he  treated  me. 
that  was  no  excuse  for  me.  It  has  taken  a  great  load  off  my 
mind.  All  things  work  together  for  good;  it  must  come 
out  right;  I  have  great  faith.  Is  it  not  wonderful  how 
everything  seems  to  be  coming  about  just  as  I  have  longed 
for  but  scarcely  dared  to  hope?  .  .  . 

"To  go  to  Cowley  would  ruin  my  life,  although  I  have, 
I  am  sure,  the  most  distinct  call  to  the  religious  life,  but 
not  exactly  in  that  place.  You  are  perfectly  right  about 
doing  what  we  are  best  fitted  for — certainly  mission  preach- 
ing would  not  be  my  forte.  What  I  long  to  do  is  some  quiet, 
unobtrusive  work,  much  prayer,  intercession,  meditation, 
with  especial  attention  to  be  given  to  men  and  the  f>oor.* 
I  am  reading  'L'Oratoire' ;  if  you  read  French  well  enough 
to  care  for  it.  I  will  gladly  send  you  a  copy.  I  quote  a 
little  paragraph:  'Tel  est  done  1'esprit  de  1'Oratoire:  pour 
but.  In  par  feet  ion  du  sacerdoce;  pour  t>rinelpe  et  pour  nwycn 

*  A  remarkable  foreshadowing  of  his  future  work  as  a  Jesuit  priest. 

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LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

la  charite;  rien  par  vceu,  tout  par  amour,  rien  de  profane 
et  de  seculier,  tout  par  rapport  a  Jesus  Christ,  a  1'eglise 
et  ati  sacerdoce.'  I  think  that  probably  the  'Priestly  Life' 
is  in  great  part  taken  from  this  book,  which  gives  an  ac- 
count of  the  Oratory  of  S.  Philip  Neri,  de  Berulle  and  the 
one  of  the  present  century  in  France,  under  Henri  de  Per- 
reyve.  How  glorious  is  the  idea!  What  if  we  could  do 
some  little  work  for  Him  in  this  way!  His  strength  is 
made  perfect  in  weakness;  let  us  try  and  begin  now  by 
making  it  a  perpetual  subject  of  prayer,  and  that  He  will 
raise  up  some  one  who  will  be  the  Superior  General.  I 
dared  not  mention  what  was  occupying  so  much  of  my 
thought  to  Dr.  King,  for  fear  I  might  seem  presumptuous. 
To  my  great  joy  he  told  me  a  plan  he  had  for  something 
of  the  same  kind.  He  had  bought  a  house  which  will  hold 
about  twelve  men  to  be  a  sort  of  training  school  for  mis- 
sionaries. Mr.  Moberly,  the  Bishop's  son,  is  to  be  the  head  ; 
Dr.  King,  I  suppose  the  director.  Well,  the  dear  man 
asked  me  to  stay  another  year.  Now  you  will  think  me 
crazy,  but  I  am  going  to  decline;  perhaps  he  would  not 
really  want  me;  at  any  rate,  he  suggested  it,  i.  e.,  said  he 
did  want  me,  so  then  I  told  him  about  my  aspirations,  and 
he  said  he  thought  them  not  at  all  presumptuous  and  not  by 
any  means  impracticable.  I  have  not  had  a  chance  to  say 
much  more  to  him  on  the  subject.  Wouldn't  it  be  a  good 
plan,  if  you  agree  to  it,  to  get  him  to  help  us  to  draw  up  a 
few  simple  rules  to  start  with?  He  has  a  great  deal  of 
judgment  and  is  good — so  true  and  sympathetic.  The  rea- 
son why  T  cannot  stay  is  that  I  cannot  put  off  the  priest- 
hood for  a  moment.  The  sooner  one  of  us  can  offer  up  the 
all-prevailing  sacrifice  the  sooner  must  our  plans  begin  to 
be  realized.  So  don't,  I  beg  you,  write  asking  me  to  stay. 

78 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

I  no  longer  think  of  Avenue  C  except,  perhaps,  as  the  be- 
ginning of  my  career;  it  is  no  longer  the  centre  of  my 
priestly  life.  How  wonderful  it  all  seems!  too  good  almost 
to  be  possible.  Let  the  Society  of  the  Holy  Cross  (do  you 
like  the  name?)  be  the  subject  of  our  intention  especially 
once  a  week,  Monday,  when  I  go  to  the  Sisters'  chapel : 
and  when  Dr.  King  celebrates,  I  will  ask  him  to  remember 
it.  Have  you  still  Daily  Celebration?  Have  T  led  you  to 
suppose  that  T  have  broken  in  any  way  with  the  Fathers? 
I  have  not,  and  hope  to  go  to  the  house  in  Lent  for  Lauds. 
Father  Benson  gave  us  an  excellent  sermon  this  morning  on 
the  Gospel.  He  is  decidedly  above  the  congregation,  though 
all  his  teaching  seems  to  lead  towards  perfection.  The 
lectures  are  all  going  on  now.  T  enjoy  Liddon's  more  this 
term  than  last.  I  am  reading,  with  great  pleasure,  his 
Hamptons.  Haven't  T  made  an  advance?  T  can  hear  him 
in  fancy  speaking  each  word,  and  I  can  bring  before  me 
every  tone  of  his  voice  and  look,  and  it  adds  wonderful  in- 
terest to  the  reading. 

"Dr.  Bright  is  interesting  in  his  treatment  of  the  Tgna- 
tian  Epistles.  Dr.  King  is  glorious  on  the  Ordinal.  This 
set  of  his  lectures  does  not  belong  to  the  school,  and  is 
quite  voluntary,  yet  not  only  his  room  is  crowded,  but  the 
adjoining  one  likewise.  He  has  been  treating  the  separa- 
tion of  the  Levite  and  Aaronic  priesthood,  the  use  of  media, 
and  that  not  any  and  everybody  may  be  a  priest,  but  that 
there  is  need  of  a  distinct  call.  He  is  splendid.  His  medi- 
tations have  begun,  his  little  chapel  filled  to  overflowing, 
and  men  standing  all  through.  T^nst  Friday  his  lecture  was 
on  self-examination,  and  very  excellent  it  was.  He  dis- 
cussed the  different  ways  of  meditating;  the  purgative,  the 
illuminative,  and  the  unitivc.  and  then,  after  dilating  to 

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LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

some  extent  upon  each  of  them,  said,  'No  doubt  some  of 
you  will  think  it  is  mere  medievalism/  and  then  he  spoke 
about  St.  Clement  of  Alexandria's  works,  and  especially 
the  Paidagogos  who  is  Christ,  showing  that  St.  Clement 
taught  in  that  early  age  on  exactly  the  same  plan  as  the  later 
saints.  He  then  analyzed  Wesley's  rules  of  self-examina- 
tion, thus  combining  to  suit  and  not  to  offend  any  class  of 
thinkers.  He  is  wonderfully  happy  in  his  handling  of  such 
subjects. 

"I  have  just  come  in  from  service  at  the  Evangelist 
Fathers'  Church.  Father  Benson  preached  on  'Oh,  taste 
and  see.'  You  can  imagine  it  was  a  pretty  high  sermon, 
much  too  high  for  the  understanding  of  the  people,  I  fear. 
I  enjoyed  it  very  much,  although  it  was  rather  long.  You 
ask  about  the  chanting;  it  is  hard  to  say  whether  it  is  fast  or 
slow ;  rather  fast,  I  should  say,  pausing  slightly  at  the  com- 
mas, and  not  dwelling  much  on  any  one  note.  The  accom- 
paniment at  St.  Barnabas'  is  very  brilliant ;  the  organ  is  a 
fine  one,  the  boys  singing  alternate  verses.  The  congrega- 
tion there  is  divided,  men  on  the  right  side  and  women  on 
the  left.  The  women  sing  with  the  boys.  In  high  services 
and  on  Sundays  cadences  are  introduced  in  the  intoning  of 
the  prayers.  I  don't  think  honestly  that  the  English  sing- 
ing is  any  better  or  differs  materially  from  ours;  perhaps 
some  of  the  boys'  voices  may  be  sweeter.  . 

"I  agree  with  you  entirely  about  the  Mary  banner;  let 
the  first  banner,  at  least,  be  in  honor  of  Our  Lord,  the 
Lamb,  for  instance,  or  the  Good  Shepherd,  or  Our  Lord 
blessing  little  children,  etc.  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 

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LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"February  13,  1876. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  Father  Prescott  has  imbued  me  with  the  idea 
of  extreme  caution  in  regard  to  the  enthusiasm  which  we 
young-blooded  fellows  feel.  Without  experience  we  are  apt 
to  sneer  at  his  advice  as  conservatism.  Surely,  when  we  are 
playing1  for  such  high  stakes  we  cannot  be  too  careful.  At 
least  the  great  guns  of  Oxford  impress  me  so. 

"I  hope  to  get  back  about  the  21st  of  June,  as  I  have 
engaged  my  passage  on  the  Bothnia,  which  sails  on  the  10th. 
Secessions  to  Rome  seem  to  be  the  order  of  the  day.  Mr. 
Hutton,  a  former  curate  of  St.  Barnabas',  and  a  first  class 
honor  man,  who  composed  a  defence  of  Anglican  Orders 
and  was  one  of  the  Catholic  party,  has  just  been  received  by 
John  Henry  Newman  at  the  Oratory.  He  went  to  see  Dr. 
King,  and  the  Doctor  says  he  had  absolutely  no  reason  to 
give  for  his  perversion  except  that  there  is  no  room  'for 
childlike  faith  in  the  English  Church.'  Certainly  one  would 
require  a  vast  amount  of  that  article  unadulterated  to  turn 
Roman  nowadays.  Isn't  it  sickening  to  see  the  work  of 
years  and  noble  lives  almost  neutralized  by  such  absurd 
monomania?  But  certainly  everything  preaches  a  lesson  of 
caution  to  us  to  give  people  a  thorough  grounding  in  good, 
true,  sound  doctrine,  before  they  are  carried  away  by  their 
feelings.  But  how  can  one  account  for  first  class  men  be- 
having in  such  a  way? 

"I  went  to  a  delightful  dinner  at  Dr.  King's  on  Thurs- 
day to  meet  Burgon.  the  new  Dean  of  Chichester.  It  was 
quite  a  large  affair. — fourteen  of  us.  I  was  the  only  man 
under  forty-five.  T  considered  it  quite  a  compliment.  Half 
the  party  were  ladies.  The  Dean  was  the  most  amusing 

81 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

company,  full  of  anecdotes,  some  quite  stale;  a  most  lacka- 
daisical looking  person  and  with  such  a  comical  way  of  tell- 
ing- things  that  one  laughed  whenever  one  looked  at  him. 
Among  the  guests  was  Archdeacon  Pott.  He  was  very  jolly 
and  told  very  amusing  things  about  Wilberforce ;  he  looked 
so  amusing  in  knee-breeches  and  apron;  he  reminded  me 
strongly  of  Dr.  Seymour.  Imagine  him  in  that  dress!  An- 
other guest  was  a  Rev.  George  Williams,  very  learned  in 
Eastern  Church  concerns,  who  has  travelled  a  great  deal, 
and  who  gave  us  an  interesting  account  of  the  steps  the 
Orientals  are  making  towards  unity.  There  is  also  a  Broth- 
erhood at  Athens,  lay,  I  believe,  for  the  improving  of  the 
education  of  the  clergy.  Professor  Damalas,  one  of  the 
Bonn  men,  is  one  of  the  leaders.  We  need  something  of  the 
kind — our  Oratory  under  another  name.  We  heard  of  Dr. 
Eigenbrodt's  dog-in-the-manger  treatment  of  the  St.  Chrys- 
ostom  Society.  How  contemptible  it  does  seem ! 

"The  weather  is  horrid;  I  never  suffered  so  much  from 
cold  in  my  life ;  not  that  it  is  so  cold,  but  such  penetrating 
damp.  My  hands  have  been  perfect  sights  from  chilblains 
— all  swollen  and  red  mottled — and  my  feet  are  in  a  con- 
stant state  of  numbness.  I  shall  be  glad  when  spring  comes. 

"We  went  to  a  breakfast  at  Exeter  College  yesterday. 
Segur  was  our  host ;  he  is  one  of  the  best  men  I  have  ever 
met.  We  were  a  party  of  eight  and  had  a  very  jolly  time. 
We  were  told  amusing  college  stories,  and  were  greatly  en- 
tertained. An  Oxford  breakfast  is  quite  an  imposing  affair. 

"Dr.  King  gave  us  a  beautiful  instruction  on  Pride.  He 
is  certainly  a  most  charming  man.  He  makes  great  use  of 
Dante,  rolling  off  the  Italian  very  sweetly.  I  think  he  man- 
aged to  convict  us  all  of  pride,  in  some  of  its  shapes.  He 
Describes  most  graphically,  and  is  particularly  good  about 

82 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

castle  building,  in  which  one  is  sure  to  be  the  lord  of  the 
castle  oneself.  'Full,'  gives  you  no  idea  what  the  little  chapel 
is;  men  willing  to  stand,  too,  and  such  men,  not  the  scrubs 
one  is  apt  to  consider  as  the  only  Theologs,  but  fine-looking, 
manly,  high-bred  fellows.  I  find  myself  questioning  whether 
it  can  be  possible  that  they  are  really  candidates,  and  yet 
the  fact  of  their  coming  to  extra  lectures  and  meditations 
proves  that  they  are  not  going  into  Holy  Orders  as  a  matter 
of  business.  What  a  contrast  Dr.  King  is  to  our  Profes- 
sors !  He  gave  us  notice  yesterday  that  to  anyone  who  ex- 
pected to  be  ordained  at  the  Lent  ordination,  and  had  not 
heard  his  'Parochialia,'  he  would  be  happy  to  give  them 
privately.  Wasn't  that  good  in  him?  What  a  thing  love  is! 
How  many  people  would  take  such  extra  trouble  for  any  set 
of  young  men?  I  asked  the  dear  soul  to  make  a  special 
memento  of  us  and  our  plan  on  Monday  mornings  at  Cele- 
bration ;  he  seemed  very  pleased  with  the  idea.  A  good  talk 
with  him  on  Monday  sets  me  up  for  the  rest  of  the  week. 
I  don't  know  what  I  should  do  without  the  daily  Celebra- 
tion. .  .  .  Our  friend  B.  has  decided  to  pass  the  sum- 
mer in  Hanover  or  elsewhere  in  Germany.  I  wouldn't 
think  of  doing  such  a  thing,  for  I  consider  it  absolutely 
dangerous  for  one's  spiritual  life  to  live  in  a  country  where 
religion  is  a  mere  nonentity — no  services  but  once  a  week, 
and  those  dreadful,  and  to  live  in  an  atmosphere  of  utter 
worldliness  and  pleasure-seeking.  Decidedly  Germany  has 
no  charm  for  me  which  could  outweigh  the  evils.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  I  have  forgotten  all  the  German  I  knew. 
T^ist  summer  seems  like  a  blank.  T  might  have  learned  so 
very  much  more  than  I  did,  but  I  suppose  there  is  no  use 
crying  over  spilt  milk.  .  .  . 

"Y«nrs  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 
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CHAPTER   VI 
LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD  (Continued) 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"February  20,  1876. 
"My  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  This  morning  Dr.  Pusey  preached  before 
the  University.  St.  Mary's  was  crowded.  The  Under- 
grads'  gallery  was  packed,  and  many  were  standing  in  the 
aisles.  I  went  early  and  got  a  good  seat.  Shall  I  tell  you 
how?  I  was  very  bold.  I  was  modestly  waiting  near  a 
locked  pew ;  a  beauteous  damsel  was  waiting  likewise,  amid 
a  throng  of  others.  The  pew-opener's  heart  warmed  to  so 
much  beauty,  and  the  door  was  opened.  I  followed  close  to 
the  beauteous  damsel  and  was  locked  in  the  pew  with  her — 
was  not  that  a  successful  dodge?  The  dear  Doctor  ap- 
peared in  his  red  gown,  which,  although  innocent  of  ritual- 
istic tendencies,  would  have  scared  our  respective  mothers 
not  a  little.  The  text  was :  'As  my  Father  has  sent  Me,  even 
so  send  I  you.'  The  sermon  opened  with  a  description  of 
the  'Zeitgeist,'  intellectual  pride ;  unwillingness  to  accept  re- 
vealed truth  which  reason  could  not  understand.  He  then 
proceeded  to  consider  several  schemes  of  philosophy,  but 
was  seized  with  a  violent  attack  of  coughing,  which  threat- 
ened to  put  an  end  to  the  sermon.  However,  the  brave  old 
soul  is  not  one  to  give  in ;  he  struggled  on  and  proved  vic- 
torious. It  was  very  painful,  though,  at  times.  Next  he 
spoke  of  media  in  natural  life,  and  then  by  analogy  in  our 
spiritual  life,  touching  on  the  two  great  Sacraments  and 

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LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

concluding  with  a  splendid  appeal  to  the  Undergraduates 
on  the  Sacrament  of  Confession.  He  was  wonderfully  in- 
teresting. Just  to  look  at  him  fascinated  me.  He  filled  me 
with  a  feeling  of  sadness — I  know  not  why — there  is  some- 
thing so  pathetic  about  him.  I  must  get  Dr.  King  to  intro- 
duce me  to  him,  as  I  am  very  anxious  for  his  blessing. 

"The  precentor  of  Christ  Church  Cathedral,  a  fellow, 
offered  to  teach  intoning  to  any  of  Dr.  King's  students,  for 
love,  of  course.  The  Doctor  very  kindly  asked  him  to  take 
me.  I  supposed  it  would  be  a  class,  but  to  my  surprise  he 
gives  us  each  a  separate  half-hour  a  week.  He  is  a  Catho- 
lic, a  priest,  and  sings  on  great  occasions  at  St.  Barnabas'. 
I  remembered  hearing  him  there ;  he  sings  splendidly.  He 
is  very  kind  indeed  and  says,  when  I  have  practised  a  little, 
he  will  take  me  into  the  Cathedral  to  see  how  I  can  get  on 
in  a  large  church.  Of  course  the  Cathedral  will  be  empty. 
He  makes  me  take  G.  I  think  perhaps  it  is  too  high  for  me, 
but  he  says  not  I  have  been  practising  breathing  and  since 
I  have  been  in  Oxford  my  chest  has  expanded  an  inch.  I 
am  very  careful  to  articulate  distinctly,  and  find  that  my 
practice  stands  me  in  good  stead  for  my  intoning. 

"Dr.  King's  Friday  evening  conferences  are  literally 
thronged;  the  room  is  altogether  too  small,  but  the  men 
don't  seem  to  mind  standing.  He  was  on  'Envy'  last  time, 
and  spoke  about  the  great  danger  of  it  for  fellow  curates. 

"I  consulted  Dr.  King  about  the  Canon.  He  quite  con- 
soled me  and  thought  it  would  not  be  dishonest.  I  should 
have  no  scruple  about  telling  the  examiners  if  they  see  fit  to 
ask  me.  I  mean  to  have  a  walk  and  a  talk  with  Dr.  Liddon, 
and  perhaps  what  he  says  may  have  more  influence  with 
you. 

"I  enjoy  Dr.  Liddon  extremely  this  term.     As  for  his 

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LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

Banipton  lectures  I  am  enraptured  with  them.  I  am  getting 
quite  a  clear  view  of  the  Incarnation  and  the  Trinity.  1 
don't  get  on  very  quickly,  though,  with  Bamptons,  for  there 
is  so  much  matter  in  them  for  meditation  that  I  read  and 
re-read.  What  a  beautiful  style  and  what  a  devotional  spirit 
pervades  them! 

"Dr.  Bright  is  lecturing  on  the  Gnostic  heresies,  which 
fit  in  very  nicely ;  he  makes  them  really  very  interesting.  Do 
you  remember  all  that  bosh  we  learned  the  first  year  ?  Dr. 
Bright  really  brings  the  heretics  and  their  views  before  you, 
and  he  is  withal  very  fair  to  them,  showing  their  points  of 
contact  with  the  Catholic  faith,  and  how  they  arose.  You 
can  realize  that  the  heresiarchs  were  men,  and  not  fiends, 
as  they  were  usually  represented. 

"I  wish  you  were  here  that  we  might  plan  together,  but 
one  thing  we  can  do,  and  that  is,  pray.  It  is  a  very  serious 
thing — prayer — one  must  be  very  particular  and  regular; 
regularity  and  order  are  very  excellent  safeguards.  Make 
a  rule  and  stick  to  it  as  closely  as  possible.  I  find  it  the 
only  way  for  me.  You  may  think  me  a  mere  creature  of 
habit !  Amen,  say  I,  provided  the  habit  is  good.  Do  you 
try  to  meditate,  or  have  you  given  up  in  despair?  Surely 
not.  Don't  trammel  yourself  with  too  many  rules  in  med- 
itation. 

"How  near  Lent  is;  I  rather  dread  it  for  some  reasons. 
Do  you  ever  speak  about  our  plan  or  do  you  keep  a  religious 
secrecy?  At  all  events  we  must  have  Associates.  Do  you 
make  our  Brotherhood  a  definite  subject  of  prayer?  I  do 
every  day,  at  Celebration,  to  say  nothing  of  other  times. 
I  am  still  reading  'L'Oratoire'  at  odd  times.  In  it  is  the  life 
of  the  Pere  de  Condren,  one  of  the  Superior  Generals  of  the 
Order.  It  relates  that  Pere  de  Berulle  had  his  eye  upon  him 

86 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

long  before  de  Condrcn  thought  of  joining,  and  the  Ora- 
tory offered  up  prayers  that  (lod  would  put  it  into  his  heart 
to  join,  which  in  due  time  came  to  pass.  Now,  why  can't 
we  do  the  same  for  those  whom  we  think  would  be  lit  help- 
ers in  our  work?  .  .  . 

"I  have  just  come  in  from  a  sermon  of  Father  Benson — 
very  excellent — on  the  faults  of  omission,  but  he  is  certainly 
too  long;  three-quarters  of  an  hour  in  the  evening  is  too 
much,  and  then  there  is  so  much  in  his  sermons;  it  would 
be  better  to  divide  them  up  into  three,  fifteen  minutes  each. 
I  am  positive  they  would  have  twice  the  effect.  Let  us  make 
it  a  rule  in  the  Brotherhood  that  no  sermon  shall  exceed 
fifteen  minutes.  They  sang  one  of  my  favorite  hymns, 
'Hark,  Hark,  My  Soul.'  What  a  power  music  is!  Shall  I 
bring  out  a  selection  of  church  music  for  'our  choir?'  If  so, 
what?  How  about  'our'  Library?  That  is  a  very  important 
thing;  we  can't  get  on  without  books. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY/' 


"81  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 
"QUINQUAGESIMA,  February  27,  187G. 

"MY  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  Our  lectures  are  very  interesting  now,  and  I 
enjoy  Liddon  very  much  more  this  term  than  I  did  the  last. 
The  Oxford  men  all  have  a  certain  mannerism  to  which  one 
must  get  accustomed.  I  can  see  you  smile  incredulously  at 
the  suggestion  of  any  imperfection  in  Liddon.  1  do  not 
think  his  mannerisms  altogether  objectionable,  for  it  is  a 
great  comfort  to  feel  that  such  men  have  their  little  failings. 

87 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

Licldon  invariably  says  jest  instead  of  just,  and  in  lectur- 
ing he  stutters  and  repeats  the  same  thing  over  and  over 
again,  apparently  waiting  for  a  happy  expression  to  follow 
out  the  thought.  Of  course,  his  sermons  being  written, 
there  is  no  such  defect.  Dr.  King,  too,  stutters  in  exactly 
the  same  way.  It  is  very  pleasing  withal.  Apparently  all 
Englishmen  have  it  more  or  less.  But  don't  think  that  I  am 
depreciating  them,  far  from  it,  only  it  is  'jest'  as  well  for 
you  not  to  idealize  too  tremendously. 

"I  haven't  had  my  promised  walk  with  Liddon  yet;  the 
weather  has  been  disagreeable,  the  walking  wretched.  I 
know  by  experience  he  is  far  above  caring  about  either,  and 
so  am  waiting  for  a  good  day. 

"Dr.  King  is  giving  us  good  lectures  on  the  Apostolic 
Succession,  Archbishop  Parker's  consecration,  etc. ;  the  Ro- 
man Catholics'  objections  and  how  to  refute  them,  espe- 
cially from  their  own  writers.  It  is  certainly  most  scholarly 
and  impressive  to  quote  by  reading  from  the  books  quoted 
in  the  original  language.  Had  Woodman*  been  thoroughly 
grounded,  he  couldn't  have  the  impudence  to  say  that  he 
could  not  look  upon  us  as  anything  but  laymen.  That  Nag's 
Head  story  is  the  most  palpably  absurd  thing  ever  in- 
vented. It  is  astonishing  how  Roman  Catholic  scholars,  up 
to  this  day  for  the  most  part,  implicitly  accept  it,  and  hand 
it  down  in  their  writings.  The  fact  of  Lingard  rejecting  it 
is  almost  authority  enough,  did  not  the  various  registers  at 
Lambeth  and  different  Cathedrals  and  State  records  prove 
the  true  consecration  most  convincingly.  Considering  that 


*  Rev.  Garence  Woodman,  at  that  time  a  student  of  the  General 
Theological  Seminary,  N.  Y.,  afterwards  joined  the  Church  and  became 
a  Paulist 

88 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

\\c  all  stand  upon  it,  i  think  the  clergy  as  a  rule  are  culpably 
ignorant.* 

"The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  has  been,  as  usual,  talk- 
ing in  the  most  absurd  and  ignorant  way  about  reunion  with 
Dissenters.  The  other  day  at  Convocation  he  talked  a  lot 
of  bosh  about  Apostolic  Succession  of  the  Lutherans  and 
the  Swedish  and  Danish  churches.  It  is  a  wonder  he  didn't 
mention  our  Methodist  Episcopate;  they  have  bishops,  too, 
by  name.  In  fact  he  did  speak  about  the  three  bodies  of 
the  American  Church,  whatever  that  may  mean — I  don't 
know  I  am  sure.  He  cannot  mean  high,  low  and  broad,  for 
he  certainly  has  no  desire  for  union  with  the  high.  It  is 
sad  such  an  old  Erastian  should  be  a  Primate.  He  is  doing 
his  very  best,  although  he  cannot  understand  it,  to  under- 
mine both  Church  and  State,  for  they  will  certainly  fall 
together.  Mr.  Boddington,  one  of  the  Missioners  who  was 
here,  is  to  be  tried  in  his,  the  Archbishop's  court,  for  ritual- 
ism. I  think  he  is  able  to  defend  himself  pretty  well.  I  do 
wish,  though,  they  would  try  such  a  man  as  Liddon  or 
Canon  Gregory,  but  that,  apparently,  is  not  the  Archbishop's 
line.  They  couldn't  advertise  Catholicism  better,  and  you 
know  Dr.  Seymour's  expression  about  the  blood  of  the 
martyrs,  etc. 

"I  am  afraid  this  Lent  will  be  too  enjoyable  for  me,  there 
are  to  be  such  good  preachers.  The  Bampton  lecturer  is 
the  Bishop  of  Derry,  Dr.  Alexander,  the  only  Irish  Bishop 
who  voted  for  the  Athanasian  creed,  I  believe.  They  say 


*  Whatever  credence  Catholic  writers  have  given  to  the  Nag's 
Head  story,  the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  same  in  no  way  affects  the 
incontrovertible  arguments  adduced  against  the  validity  of  Anglican 
orders. 

89 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

he  is  exceedingly  eloquent.     The  lectures  take  place  every 
Sunday  morning  in  Lent  in  the  University  Church. 

"Dr.  King  preached  this  morning  at  the  Cathedral  on 
fasting.  The  opening  part  was  admirable,  but  alas,  he  is 
far  too  charitable,  for  he  qualifies  so  much  that  every  man, 
woman  and  child  could  make  a  loop-hole  through  which  to 
escape.  I  was  disappointed,  for  I  wanted  someone  who 
shall  be  nameless  to  have  a  good  sermon  on  the  subject. 
They  sang  a  beautiful  Te  Deum  by  Mendelssohn. 

"Did  I  tell  you  that  I  go  every  Thursday  to  have  a  lesson 
in  intoning  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hilton,  a  fellow  of  Christ 
Church?  I  get  on  pretty  well.  I  have  a  tendency  to  slide 
up  my  first  note  at  the  beginning  of  a  sentence,  still  I  hope 
practice  will  cure  the  defect.  .  .  . 

"I  have  decided  not  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  work 
over  on  Avenue  C,  or  the  Sisters  there.  What  a  change  of 
plans !  All  seems  to  be  working  for  my  end,  however,  for 
i  f  I  had  gotten  very  much  interested  there,  how  could  I  ever 
leave  it  when  our  Society  starts.  But  now,  perhaps,  I  shall 
have  a  little  country  parish,  a  few  poor  sheep  to  tend — how 
lovely  that  sounds — and  there  are  sure  to  be  a  few  wolves 
disguised  among  them.  Well,  I  shall  tend  those  few  poor 
sheep  and  have  time  to  devote  to  prayer,  meditation  and 
study.  I  suppose  you  are  up  in  arms  against  me  and  are 
saying:  'Oh,  he  has  gone  back  on  himself  and  doesn't  want 
to  work;  grown  lazy  and  spoiled.'  Quite  wrong  in  each 
particular,  I  assure  you — but  all  in  good  time.  I  am  so 
afraid  sometimes,  that  you  are  only  jesting  about  our  plans 
when  I  am  dead  in  earnest.  At  all  events,  Dr.  King  says  it 
is  not  ridiculous,  and  I  can't  tell  you  what  comfort  that  is 
to  me.  "Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 

90 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"March  1C,  1870. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

"...  I  cannot  believe  it  is  so  late  in  the  year.  All 
the  lectures  are  over  for  the  Lent  term,  although  Licldon  is 
to  give  us  two  or  three  extra  ones  this  week,  as  he  wants  to 
get  through  the  Ephesians  this  year  before  the  long  vaca- 
tion. Dr.  King's  upon  the  requirements  for  the  priesthood 
have  been  very  interesting  this  last  week.  He  took  St. 
Gregory  on  the  Pastoral  care,  St.  Ambrose  on  the  priest- 
hood, and  St.  Chrysostom  on  the  same.  He  took  them  in 
turn,  giving  a  day  to  each.  They  are,  as  you  know,  very 
tremendous  on  the  subject,  especially  in  the  Eucharistic  as- 
pect. He  concluded  with  an  extract  from  St.  Gregory 
Nazianzen.  I  am  sorry  to  say  the  men  pay  very  little  atten- 
tion, but  read  all  the  time — at  least  those  in  the  room  where 
we  were.  I  am  sure  the  majority  are  mere  Erastians,*  go- 
ing in  to  please  their  families,  etc.  I  was  in  hopes  it  had 
died  out,  but  am  convinced  of  my  mistake.  One  excuse  is, 
I  suppose,  that  coming  to  the  lecture,  as  they  do,  in  the 
midst  of  their  ordinary  University  course,  they  know  noth- 
ing at  all  about  Ecclesiastical  History  or  the  Qiurch  itself, 
and  so  cannot  be  expected  to  care  much  about  the  opinion 
of  writers  of  whom  they  are  ignorant.  Good  seminarians 
are  certainly  desirable,  if  for  nothing  else,  to  make  a  break 
between  the  life  of  the  University  and  that  of  priests  or 
deacons;  otherwise  the  transition  is  altogether  too  sudden. 

"Dr.   King's   Friday  Conferences  came  to  a  close  last 

*  "With  Froude,  Erastianism — that  is,  the  union  (so  he  viewed  it) 
of  Church  and  State — was  the  parent  ...  of  liberalism." — Ntw- 
inan's  Apologia,  Part  IV. 

91 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

week.  Literally  the  room  was  crowded,  and  men,  as  usual, 
standing.  They  seem  to  be  a  different  set  of  men  from 
those  who  attend  the  lectures.  The  Doctor  was  grand.  We 
are  going  to  hear  him  to-night  at  St.  Barnabas' ;  I  wish  it 
were  not  so  far  away,  as  I  enjoy  the  service  there  so  much. 

"We  went  this  morning  to  hear  the  first  Bampton  lecture. 
The  Bishop  of  Derry  is  a  splendid  man,  and  we  were  both 
delighted  with  him.  The  subject  is  the  'Messianic  Psalms.' 
The  lecture  was  on  the  22nd.  It  was  beautiful.  He  is 
quite  old,  but  his  voice  clear  and  sympathetic.  We  were,  as 
usual,  fortunate  in  having  such  a  lecturer  for  the  year.  Mr. 
Mylne,  Bishop  designated  to  Bombay,  preached  last 
Wednesday  night  upon  'Spiritual  Progress.'  He  was  quite 
good,  but  rather  slow.  He  did  not  hesitate,  yet  seemed  to 
weigh  each  word  before  uttering  it,  which  rather  spoiled 
the  effect. 

"I  think  I  have  heard  Father  Benson  too  often,  for  he 
palls  upon  one  a  little ;  he  is  too  severe  and  hard,  and  takes 
too  gloomy  a  view  of  the  state  of  mankind  in  general.  It 
is  the  way  with  monks.  They  wind  themselves  up  beyond 
the  level  of  ordinary  mortals,  and  then  look  down  with 
scorn  upon  the  efforts  of  the  poor  ones  who  must  live  in 
the  world,  however  much  they  may  be  trying  not  to  be  of 
it.  If  we  want  to  reach  the  hearts  of  the  multitude,  we 
must  be  gentle  and  loving  and  sympathetic,  and  that  monks 
cannot  be  as  a  general  rule,  for  their  vocation  is  to  live  apart 
from  their  fellows  and  even  themselves. 

"It  is  a  relief  to  turn  to  the  gentle  Dr.  King,  whose  in- 
fluence is  wonderful.  I  couldn't  possibly  be  striving  for  a 
more  difficult  thing  than  to  be  gentle,  forbearing  and  sym- 
pathetic; for  you  know  that,  in  general,  I  have  a  certain 
amount  of  reserve  and  an  immense  amount  of  pride  and 
disagreeableness.  Still  I  am  convinced  it  is  the  way. 

92 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

"You  speak  about  my  coming  to  Hoboken.  What  does 
Mr.  P.  say?  Or  is  he  willing  to  take  curates  ad  lib.?  It 
would  be  a  good  beginning  for  the  Society  of  the  Holy 
Cross. 

"I  went  on  Friday  to  take  my  intoning  lesson  in  the 
Cathedral.  It  is  rather  trying  to  one's  voice,  as  Hilton  puts 
me  under  the  lantern  tower  and  himself  at  the  worst  point 
for  hearing.  By  way  of  variety,  I  sharped  a  little  instead 
of  flatting.  I  have  bought  a  pitch  pipe.  You  would  be  quite 
horrified  at  the  number  of  my  books.  Tell  me  of  any  in 
particular  you  think  would  be  useful,  and  do  tell  me  about 
the  Fathers  we  certainly  must  have. 

"My  sister  tells  me  of  my  mother's  reason  for  advising 
me  to  stay  abroad — to  keep  me  from  the  Sisters.  She  does 
not  dream  of  the  Society  of  the  Holy  Cross.  .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately. 

"HENRY." 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 
"MID-LENT  SUNDAY,  March  2fi,  1870. 

"MY  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  Nothing  very  interesting  is  going  on  here; 
time,  as  usual,  is  passing  very  quickly.  The  term  is  over, 
and  the  city  is  very  quiet.  We  have  had  two  of  the  eight 
Bampton  lectures,  which  were  very  fine.  Perhaps  you  may 
hear  some  of  them,  as  they  will  be  resumed  after  Easter. 

"I  go,  as  usual,  to  the  Mission  House  every  morning  at 
six,  but  am  getting  bravely  over  my  fancy  for  their  phase 
of  the  religious  life.  I  want  something  a  little  broader.  I 
should  hate  to  l>e  a  mere  machine.  .  .  . 

"In  the  afternoon  I  had  a  treat — Liddon  at  St.  Paul's, 

93 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

on  the  Personality  of  Satan.  I  had  a  splendid  seat  and  en- 
joyed myself  immensely.  Of  course  he  was  grand;  calls 
the  evil  one  Sattan,  and  so  do  most  people  here.  He  was 
very  eloquent,  and  drew  an  immense  crowd.  The  next  day 
I  went  to  St.  Alban's,  as  I  had  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
Mr.  Maconochie  from  Father  Benson,  but  after  I  got  nearly 
there,  I  thought  how  wrong  it  was  to  take  a  priest's  time  in 
Passiontide,  and  I  said  so  to  Mr.  M.  He  was  very  polite 
and  asked  me  to  go  there  any  time  at  one,  and  lunch,  as  I 
should  be  sure  to  find  him  at  home.  Of  course  he  was  very 
busy,  and  so  I  took  my  leave. 

"I  went  to  Even-song  at  St.  Andrew's,  Well  street,  where 
Barnby  is  organist,  and  where  they  are  supposed  to  have 
the  best  singing  in  Europe.  The  chanting  was  splendid ;  so 
precise  and  steady,  but  the  anthem,  a  beautiful  one — *O 
daughters  of  Jerusalem' — was  marred  by  the  solo  treble 
boy  having  a  horrible  cold. 

"You  don't  know  how  you  have  misjudged  me  if  you 
fancy  that  I  am  aristocratic  with  poor  people.  Burgess  is 
constantly  telling  me  that  I  err  on  the  opposite  side,  and  am 
too  easy  and  familiar  with  them.  And  as  to  children,  I  have 
grown  to  love  them.  My  nature,  perhaps,  has  changed  un- 
der Dr.  King's  influence.  My  only  wish  is  to  work  among 
the  poor.  Burgess  says  that  I  carry  it  to  such  an  extreme 
that  one  would  think  that  the  rich  ought  not  to  be  preached 
to  at  all.  Do  you  imagine  that  I  have  become  puffed  up 
since  I  have  been  here  ?  Oh,  no !  Or  did  you  fancy  because 
I  spoke  of  not  going  to  Avenue  C  that  I  was  beginning  to 
repent  of  my  determination  to  go  among  the  poor  and  the 
uncared  for?  .  .  . 

"I  have  not  been  at  all  satisfied  with  this  Lent.  I  have 
not  made  progress,  I  grieve  to  say,  but  have  had  a  long 

94 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

spell  of  dryness.  It  was  good  for  me,  no  doubt,  as  it  helped 
to  save  me  from  pride  and  presumption,  which,  alas,  I  had 
fallen  into,  I  fear.  It  is  a  temptation,  but  it  is  hard  to  be 
spiritually  dry.  I  hope  now  that  the  worst  is  over,  and  that 
Easter  will  bring  me  peace.  I  feel  utterly  fagged  out  and 
good  for  nothing.  I  went  up  to  London,  hoping  the  change 
would  set  me  up,  but  it  has  only  made  me  more  tired. 

"Mr.  Lang  came  for  us  to  go  rowing  yesterday,  as  it  is 
much  nicer  for  them  to  have  me  to  steer  them.  I  went,  al- 
though really  I  have  not  strength  enough,  and  they  always 
expect  me  to  do  some  rowing.  In  Lent  one  has  not  much 
extra  strength.  Fasting  doesn't  make  me  cross,  and  I  find 
that  I  shall  be  able  to  manage  High  Celebrations  very  well ; 
still  one  doesn't  have  much  energy.  The  air  here  is  not 
bracing  as  at  home.  Spring  is  now  here,  and  the  birds  sing 
most  delightfully.  There  are  quantities  of  larks.  Today 
has  been  very  warm;  the  hedges  will  soon  be  in  bloom,  and 
the  country  will  be  lovely.  I  do  enjoy  the  country  so  much. 

"I  should  like  to  have  some  work  to  relieve  the  monotony 
of  study.  Dr.  King  preached  to-night,  Wednesday,  an  ex- 
cellent sermon :  'Rest  after  labor,  and  sympathy  for  others.' 
I  long  for  you  to  hear  him. 

"I  looked  at  some  of  the  Arundel  Society  pictures  in 
London.  I  liked  one  of  Pcrugino's.  Raphael's  master,  you 
know;  it  is  in  three  compartments:  central  one.  Our  Lord 
on  the  Cross,  with  one  figure  at  the  foot;  the  side  ones, 
each,  two  figures  gazing  at  Him.  T  have  often  admired  it 
at  Dr.  King's.  There  is  another  by  Fra  Angelico,  but  it  has 
too  many  Popey  people  in  it.  Would  you  buy  the  first, 
and  brass  cross  and  candle-sticks  for  our  private  monastery 
chapel?  .  .  .  "Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY/' 
95 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"EASTER  DAY,  1876. 
"MY  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  An  Easter  greeting  to  you.  What  a  comfort 
it  is  to  reach  Easter  after  the  long,  long  fast.  Well,  upon 
the  whole,  I  think  Holy  Week  was  a  very  profitable  one  for 
me.  We  revelled  in  having  a  great  deal  of  Dr.  King.  He 
gave  beautiful  Meditations  on  the  Mondays,  Tuesdays  and 
Wednesdays,  upon  the  types  of  the  Old  Testament,  select- 
ing the  Tree  of  Life,  the  Sacrifice  of  Abraham  and  the 
Brazen  Serpent,  subjects  that  actually  suit  his  devotional 
mind.  On  Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday  he  preached  in 
the  evening  at  the  Cathedral — of  course,  equally  well.  I  was 
to  have  gone  with  him  on  Friday  to  Abingdon,  but  there 
was  a  misunderstanding  about  the  hour,  and  I  missed  him. 
However,  I  was  quite  reconciled  to  the  disappointment  by 
the  thought  that  there  would  have  been  too  much  pleasure 
in  being  with  and  hearing  Dr.  King  on  Good  Friday.  I 
went  instead  to  the  Cowley  Fathers'  Church.  Father  Ben- 
son made  the  address  on  the  Seven  Last  Words,  and  was 
particularly  good.  There  was  a'  large  congregation.  The 
service  was  wonderfully  melancholic.  The  whole  choir  was 
hung  in  black,  the  altar  perfectly  black,  not  even  relieved  by 
any  white.  The  exercises  began  in  the  morning  with  a  med- 
itation at  7.30;  then  there  was  a  children's  service,  followed 
by  Matins  and  the  Seven  Words. 

"For  three  hours  the  bell  at  the  Mission  House  tolled 
every  minute,  and  from  two  to  three  the  church  bell  also. 
The  day  itself  was  gloomy.  I  never  heard  anything  like 
the  whistling  of  the  wind  the  night  before;  there  was  a 
heavy  fall  of  snow,  and  it  was  bitterly  cold,  altogether  cal- 
culated to  make  one  exceedingly  mournful.  By  the  evening 

96 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

the  snow  had  completely  vanished,  and  it  had  become  mild 
and  pleasant. 

"We  had  also  an  appropriate  service  on  Easter  Eve.  The 
church  was  prettily  decorated,  and  the  music  joyful  and  in- 
spiriting. Father  Benson,  however,  gave  us  a  very  wo  fid 
sermon,  in  which  he  told  Us  we  must  go  through  the  world 
like  the  corpses  that  we  are.  I  could  not  agree  with  his 
gloomy  views  of  the  Christian  life.  It  is  one  thing  to  be 
dead  unto  sin,  and  quite  another  to  be  forever  storming  and 
raging  against  the  world,  which  we  must  abandon,  alas,  to 
the  unconverted  sinners,  if  all  the  true  followers  of  Our 
Lord  leave  them  to  themselves.  Dr.  King  preached  a  splen- 
did sermon  at  the  Cathedral,  but  the  service  was  miserably 
cold  and  un-Easterlike.  I  got  to  the  Cowley  Fathers'  in 
time  for  the  Celebration,  and  afterwards  went  to  the  Mis- 
sion House  to  dinner,  at  Father  Benson's  invitation. 

"In  the  evening  I  went  to  St.  Barnabas',  where  they  had 
a  grand  Te  Deum,  such  as  I  described  to  you  at  the  end  of 
the  Mission.  There  was  an  immense  procession,  in  which 
all  the  Sunday-school  children  took  part,  and,  although  it 
extended  all  around  the  church,  there  was  not  the  slightest 
confusion.  But  I  am  writing  all  this  one  week  after  the 
date,  to-day  being  Low  Sunday.  I  can  scarcely  realize  that 
it  is  only  a  week  since  then,  but  I  really  despair  of  ever 
finishing  this  letter,  as  this  is  my  third  attempt.  I  must  tell 
you  one  very  good  reason  why  I  was  interrupted.  I  have 
taken  a  little  jaunt  this  week,  and  where  do  you  suppose  I 
went  to?  Stoke-on-Tern,  where  the  Society  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  abides.  I  went  very  boldly,  unannounced,  as  I  thought 
it  better,  and  had  no  time  to  wait  for  a  letter  to  be  an- 
swered ;  moreover,  if  they  would  not  show  hospitality,  I 
should  know  what  to  think  of  them ;  but  I  have  no  charge 

97 


LIFF  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

of  that  kind  to  make  against  them.  It  was  a  four  hours' 
journey  by  rail.  Just  as  I  reached  the  last  junction  I  spied 
a  little  crowd  of  cassocked  and  cloaked  creatures,  and  I 
guessed  correctly  that  they  belonged  to  Stoke.  When  we 
got  to  the  station  I  marched  boldly  to  the  crowd  and  asked 
if  Father  Bicknall  were  there.  Luckily  he  was.  I  said  that 
Canon  King  had  commended  me  to  him,  etc.,  and  was  very 
warmly  received  by  him.  They  had  all  been  off  on  an  ex- 
cursion to  celebrate  the  Easter  festival.  Stoke  can  scarcely 
be  defined  by  the  name  of  a  village,  for  it  is  hardly  a  ham- 
let, yet  there  is  a  handsome  stone  church,  large  and  lately 
restored.  The  rectory  is  a  huge  house  for  such  a  tiny 
parish,  with  beautiful  grounds,  a  succession  of  terraced 
lawns  sloping  down  to  a  little  stream,  and  the  churchyard 
adjoining.  The  house  seemed  just  fitted  for  what  it  is  now 
used.  There  are  six  Fathers,  two  were  away,  one  being 
the  Superior,  Father  Corbet,  a  fine  man,  they  say.  I  was 
charmed  with  Father  Bicknall;  he  is  so  unaffected  and 
pleasant,  and  seems  to  be  really  fatherly.  I  liked  another 
one  very  much,  Father  Douglas,  a  genuine,  whole-souled 
creature.  There  are  besides  five  or  six  lay  brothers.  They 
are  pretty  advanced  in  ritual  and  have  holy  water  for  cross- 
ing, etc.  The  great  objection  I  find  is  that  they  have  no 
definite  aim  at  present,  except  community  life  and  individ- 
ual perfection.  To  be  sure  they  do  give  occasional  retreats, 
still  home  life  seems  to  be  their  aim.  Now,  of  course,  one 
must,  and  one  ought  to,  aim  at  one's  own  perfection,  still  I 
cannot  help  feeling  and  saying  that  it  seems  to  me  some- 
what too  narrow  and  selfish  an  aim.  At  least,  I  could  not 
be  happy  there.  I  was  really  oppressed,  or  rather  depressed, 
during  my  visit  of  two  and  a  half  days,  although  the  ser- 
vices were  bright  Easter  ones.  I  don't  mean  to  be  con- 

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LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

demning1  them  if  they  are  called  to  such  a  life,  but  only  that 
it  is  not  my  ideal. 

"The  Church  is  wide  enough  for  all  kinds.  I  was  most 

kindly  treated  and  liked  them  personally,  still .  In  the 

evening  from  nine  to  half-past,  all  the  Fathers  and  lay 
brethren  met  in  the  community  room  for  a  chat.  There 
was  one  fine-looking  lay  brother  to  whom  my  heart  went 
out.  Father  told  me  to  stay  as  long  as  I  wanted,  but  I 
thought  it  better  not  to  trespass  too  long  upon  their  hos- 
pitality. He  gave  me  a  letter  to  their  curate,  who  was  stay- 
ing in  Lichfield,  where  I  was  going  to  see  the  Cathedral. 
Really  I  cannot  say  too  much  of  the  kindness  with  which  I 
was  treated  everywhere. 

"The  curate  is  a  very  agreeable  little  man.  The  Fathers 
do  not  care  to  do  parish  work  and  so  engage  him  for  the 
purpose.  He  has  a  wife,  who  is  also  very  pleasant.  I  dined 
at  his  mother's  afterwards,  and  we  went  over  the  Cathedral 
and  library  together.  It  is  a  very  interesting  place,  built 
partly  in  715,  and  dedicated  to  St.  Chad.  \Ye  saw  that  old 
gentleman's  gospels  in  Latin  with  Anglo-Saxon  notes,  much 
coveted  by  the  British  Museum.  It  is  so  encouraging  to 
meet  Catholics  scattered  broadcast  over  the  country.  It  is 
good  for  them,  too,  to  hear  about  the  United  States. 

"I  was  very  glad  to  get  back  to  Oxford  to-day.  We  had 
a  Bampton  lecture  and  a  sermon  by  Canon  Light  foot.  An- 
other to-night  by  Mr.  Mylne,  Bishop-elect  of  Bomlxiy;  very 
excellent.  It  is  splendid  to  have  good  churchmen  at  last  for 
Bishops,  and  such  young  men  too.  Not  a  bit  F.rastian  or 
cowards.  I  had  a  most  unsettling  letter  from  my  mother, 
saying  she  had  bearded  the  lion.  Bishop  Potter,  in  his  den. 
and  that  he  had  heartily  agreed  to  my  staying  over  here 
until  the  Autumn  to  travel  with  my  sister.  .  .  .  Lid- 

99 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

don  will  be  in  residence  in  August.  .  .  .  My  mother 
hopes  that  I  have  become  moderate.  What  think  you?  Dr. 
King  conveys  a  feeling  of  safety,  in  name  at  least,  to  her 

mind,  but  the  reality .     .     . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"May  19,  1876. 
"MY  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

"...  I  ought  to  be  willing  to  make  a  little  sacri- 
fice, to  prepare  myself  for  the  awful  responsibility  of  taking 
charge  of  many  souls.  I  should  not  mind  being  in  the 
country,  the  people  are  so  much  simpler  than  city  people. 
We  walked  out  on  Sunday  afternoon  to  Littlemore  for  Even- 
song. It  was  a  most  lovely  afternoon,  the  sky  cloudless, 
and  the  church  was  much  brighter  than  when  I  last  saw  it. 
There  was  a  good  congregation,  the  service  choral  and  well 
sung.  The  Vicar  was  rather  a  depressing  little  man,  and 
to  our  regret  he  preached ;  he  had  not  much  to  say  nor  did 
he  say  it  well.  Still  one  must  be  charitable,  for  Dr.  King 
told  that  once  when  Keble  preached  for  him,  an  old  fanner 
remarked  to  him  afterwards,  that  'it  was  a  pity  that  the  old 
gentleman  should  be  allowed  to  preach.'  Think  of  Keble 
being  thus  criticised. 

"The  Doctor  is  giving  us  a  very  good  course  of  lectures 
on  Preaching:  of  course,  coming  from  such  a  good  preacher 
they  fall  with  double  effect.  On  Friday  evenings  he  is 
treating  the  Lord's  Prayer  to  a  crowded  oratory,  although 
it  is  a  gay  term,  given  up  in  great  measure  to  boating.  The 
men  requested  him  to  make  the  hour  nine  instead  of  eight, 

100 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

to  give  them  a  chance  to  get  there.  So  you  see  that  they 
really  enjoy  the  'talks.'  The  Doctor  thought  seriously  of 
not  having  them  on  account  of  the  term,  but  was  delighted 
to  continue  them  when  they  were  wanted.  ...  I  mean 
to  try  and  study  very  hard  though  it  is  discouraging — I 
have  such  a  poor  memory.  I  will  make  a  good  house  Father 
or  parish  visitor  perhaps,  which  may  not  require  very  great 
learning. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"May  2G,  1876. 
"Mv  DF.AR  FRANCIS: 

".  .  .  Just  think  what  a  state  I  should  be  in  if  I  were 
going  to  sail  to-morrow,  and  on  some  accounts  I  do  wish 
that  I  were.  One  reason  being  that  I  should  see  you.  .  .  . 

"How  much  Keble's  life  is  abused.  He  seems  to  be  used 
by  people  as  an  example  of  combining  the  worldly  and  the 
heavenly.  Of  course  it  isn't  a  bit  true.  Burgess  is  very 
much  afraid  of  leaving  me  here  on  account  of  the  Fathers. 
He  seems  to  imagine  that  I  shall  fall  an  easy  victim  after 
the  fright  I  gave  him  last  winter  when  he  was  away,  but  I 
don't  believe  there  is  any  danger;  at  any  rate  my  sister  will 
soon  be  over  to  preserve  me  from  the  allurements.  Frank- 
ly, though,  there  is  no  reason  for  his  fears.  I  like  them 
very  well  as  individuals,  and  I  like  the  religious  life,  but 
never  would  join  an  English  Order  or  care  to  1>e  under 
Father  Benson.  I  must  say  I  prefer  a  limited  monarchy  to 
an  autocracy  such  as  his.  .  .  . 

"We  went  on  Sunday  evening  to  St.  Barnabas'.     Mr. 

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LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

Holland  preached.  He  is  a  senior  student  (fellow)  of 
Christ  Church,  and  tutor,  and  is  considered,  perhaps,  the 
rising  man;  I  believe  Dr.  Liddon  thinks  so.  I  liked  him 
very  well,  though  it  was  not  a  remarkable  sermon  in  any 
way,  but  he  may  have  suited  himself  to  the  St.  Barnabas' 
people  and  aimed  particularly  at  simplicity.  He  is  to  preach 
at  the  Cathedral  on  Sunday. 

"This  week  there  have  been  quite  exciting  boat  races 
every  day.  We  went  three  times.  The  unattached,  in  whom 
we  took  special  interest  on  account  of  our  friend  Lang  be- 
ing one  of  the  eight,  did  most  wretchedly.  Did  I  tell  you 
how  they  race  here?  I  will  repeat  anyhow.  The  river  is 
so  narrow  that  ten  boats  could  not  possibly  go  abreast,  so 
they  row  in  a  string,  and  the  thing  to  do  is  to  'bump'  the 
one  just  in  front  and  so  work  one's  way  up.  They  row  in 
two  divisions,  the  best  ten  at  7  P.  M.,  the  second  best  at 
5.30;  the  head  of  the  second  best  ten  rowing  twice,  in  the 
race  at  5.30,  and  last  in  the  race  at  7  P.  M.  Brasenose  came 
off  victorious.  There  is  a  narrow  bank  path  along  which 
the  college  men  run,  keeping  up  with  their  boats  and  yelling 
encouragement  at  the  top  of  their  lungs.  It  is  very  amus- 
ing indeed  to  see  them.  There  are  a  great  many  people  'up,' 
as  those  who  used  to  come  for  Commemoration,  now  that 
it  is  closed  to  the  public,  come  for  the  races  instead.  The 
week  unfortunately  has  been  cloudy  and  showery.  They  have 
been  playing  cricket  matches  in  Christ.  Church  meadow  in 
front  of  our  house  every  day  this  week.  It  seems  to  me  very 
stupid.  The  men  are  very  swell  and  come  out  in  a  four- 
horse  wagon.  The  Oxford  and  London  coach  makes  quite 
an  excitement  when  it  passes.  You  know  it  is  driven  by 
gentlemen.  They  always  sound  their  horn  when  they  pass, 
and  Burgess  laughs  because  I  rush  to  the  window  to  see  it. 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

"We  are  going  on  a  rowing  expedition  to-morrow  to 
commemorate  Burgess's  last  week-day  in  Oxford.  The 
party  is  to  be  the  two  Langs  and  ourselves.  We  start  at 
noon  and  expect  to  be  gone  the  whole  afternoon.  We  are 
going  to  surprise  them  with  a  very  recherche  hamper  to 
sustain  us  by  the  way.  Would  that  you  were  here  to  help 
us  discuss  and  enjoy  it.  We  like  the  Langs  very  much. 

"May  29,  1876. 

"I  had  to  break  off  and  go  to  a  Missionary  meeting  at 
Corpus  Christi  College.  Bishop  Mylne,  of  Bombay,  was  to 
address  the  people.  It  was  quite  interesting.  You  remem- 
ber, he  is  from  Keble  College,  where  I  dined  with  him.  He 
is  very  popular  and  has  had  fifteen  men  promise  to  go  out 
to  India  to  work  under  him.  None  of  them  are  yet  in  or- 
ders. The  Bishop's  idea  is  to  have  a  sort  of  Brotherhood 
system;  at  least  associated  work,  under  his  direction,  and  it 
is  owing  to  that  he  has  got  so  many  men.  One  does  dread 
the  idea  of  working  all  alone  so  far  away.  They  are  to 
agree  not  to  marry  for  a  term  of  years.  .  .  . 

"On  Saturday  we  had  a  very  jolly  time  indeed.  The 
day  passed  charmingly  without  a  mishap  of  any  kind.  We 
started  at  12  and  got  back  at  8  P.  M.  We  took  turns  in 
rowing  and  towing  the  nine  miles  to  Abingdon,  where  there 
is  a  singular  old  church  with  five  aisles.  It  is  in  good  Cath- 
olic hands.  There  is  also  a  ruined  Abbey  there.  We  pic- 
nicked on  a  very  pretty  spot  by  the  river  side,  and  enjoyed 
the  good  things  that  Mrs.  Aldridge  had  provided  for  us. 
We  all  had  a  very  pleasant  time.  It  was  certainly  very  un- 
like the  common  run  of  days  with  me. 

"Yesterday  Mr.  Holland  preached  at  the  Cathedral  a  very 

103 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

excellent  sermon.  Dr.  King  very  kindly  asked  us  to  take  a 
farewell  lunch  with  them.  Then  we  heard  the  Dean  of 
Rochester,  Scott  (Liddell  and  Scott,  you  know).  I  forgot 
to  say  Canon  Liddon  was  to  have  lunched  at  Dr.  King's,  but 
was  not  well.  I  have  been  going  a  good  deal  to  the  Cathe- 
dral lately.  ...  I  have  been  reading  Keble's  memoirs 
and  have  been  enjoying  the  Lyra  Innocentium.  How  ex- 
quisite those  lines  upon  the  death  of  the  New  Baptized  and 
Disuse  of  Infant  Communion.  The  last  is  enough  to  con- 
vince anyone  but  an  intelligent  layman  of  the  beauty  and 
need  of  it.  And  now  there  is  to  be  a  month  of  quiet  all  to 
myself,  then  wandering  for  two  months,  and  after  that 
home.  I  am  sure  that  I  have  done  right  in  staying ;  my  sis- 
ter was  so  disappointed  when  she  thought  I  would  not  travel 
with  her. 

"The  weather  is  very  pleasant  .now,  the  country  lovely, 
the  birds  sing  more  delightfully,  and  the  hawthorn  hedges 
and  the  wild  flowers  are  charming.  We  heard  some  cuckoos 
on  Saturday  and  are  hoping  for  the  nightingales. 

"Dr.  King's  lectures  on  Parochialia  are  really  a  help. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"Whitsun  Eve,  June  3,  187G. 
DEAR  FRANCIS: 
".     ...     You  can  never  make  your  letters  more  inter- 
esting than  by  telling  me  about  your  boys  and  what  you  are 
doing  with  and  for  them.    That  is  the  real  way  to  get  at  the 
older  people — through  the  younger;  one  can  see  how  nat- 
ural it  is  too.     .     .     .     As  to  the  idea  of  dying  young,  one 

104 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

ought  not  to  indulge  fancies.  For  your  own  dear  self,  to 
depart  and  be  with  Girist,  must  be  better,  but  for  those  who 
are  left,  or  would  have  to  be  left,  it  may  be  more  expedient 
for  you  to  tarry.  About  one  thing  there  can  be  no  doubt ; 
that  until  He  calls  we  are  not  to  go.  We  must  do  all  in  our 
power  to  preserve  our  lives.  You,  of  course,  understand 
that  I  do  not  mean  one  is  to  neglect  any  plain  duty  or  coddle 
himself,  but  use  ordinary  and  necessary  precautions.  For 
myself,  I  do  not  feel  any  terror  now  at  the  possibility  of 
dying,  only  that  I  have  done  and  am  doing  so  very,  very 
little,  and  that  little  so  feebly  and  imperfectly  for  Him.  One 
would  like  to  feel  that  one  has  fought  the  battle  before 
reaching  the  resting  place. 

"I  am  very  much  interested  in  Keble's  Memoirs,  although 
I  do  think  that  Coleridge  makes  himself  too  prominent  by 
far.  Keble  used  to  take  a  good  many  trips  for  his  wife's 
health,  didn't  he?  Or  j>erhaps  they  seem  more  frequent  by 
reading  about  them  in  such  close  connection  in  a  book.  Dr. 
King  has  been  upon  Confession  in  his  last  two  lectures,  in- 
troduced by  the  reading  of  the  Visitation  Office.  Last  night 
we  had  a  choice  little  conference  on  'Thy  will  be  done.'  We 
are  to  have  a  treat  to-morrow ;  Dr.  Liddon  is  to  preach  be- 
fore the  University.  Was  I  harsh  in  telling  you  what  he 
said  about  the  League  of  Saint  Cross?  or  did  I  have  the 
tone  of  'I  told  you  so'?  If  so,  forget  and  forgive. 

"If  you  come  to  Keble  you  will  have  great  temptation  to 
go  into  the  delights  of  college  life.  I  feel  that  even  I,  staid 
and  old  as  I  am,  could  very  easily  be  led  away  by  them ;  not 
that  they  are  in  any  way  sinful,  but  only  not  exactly  a  help 
to  spirituality.  I  do  not  mean  to  speak  of  Keble  especially, 
but  college  life  in  general — unattached.  I  don't  like  it  at 
all — lectures  and  no  congenial  society — nor  do  I  think  Cow- 

105 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

ley  and  college  at  the  same  time  a  desirable  mixture,  but 
more  of  that  hereafter.  As  to  being  allowed  to  work  in  a 
London  parish,  I  am  sure  there  would  be  no  difficulty,  for 
they  are  always  glad  of  helpers,  especially  if  you  didn't 
need  a  stipend.  I  am  rather  lonely,  but  am  sure  it  is  good 
training  for  me.  Let  me  hear  from  you  as  often  as  you 
can ;  write  scraps  in  pencil  in  any  kind  of  way,  they  will  al- 
ways be  most  acceptable. 

"You  know  well  that  I  should  love  to  be  with  you  at  the 
Monastery  next  winter — if  you  are  there.  Do  pray  for  me 
that  I  may  not  waste  this  summer;  not  that  travelling  is  a 
waste  of  time,  but  there  are  so  many  and  great  temptations 
in  travelling  that  one  finds  many  excuses  for  neglecting 
'exercises'  and  church  duties.  And  now  for  the  present 
farewell.  Let  us  continue  and  increase  our  prayers  for  the 
T  S  r 

I-/.       O      .V_y.  .  .  '    . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY/' 


"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 
"EVE  OF  TRINITY  SUNDAY,  June  10,  1876. 
"MY  DEAR  FRANCIS  : 

"...  Dr.  Lidclon  preached  a  beautiful  sermon  last 
Sunday  before  the  University.  I  am  going  to  send  you  the 
paper  which  has  it,  though  very  much  of  the  charm  is  in 
the  man  himself.  His  red  Doctor's  gown  was  very  becom- 
ing. I  had  a  delightful  walk  with  him  on  Friday;  he  was 
very  agreeable.  I  asked  him  a  good  deal  about  the  Roman 
question,  as  it  has  been  brought  before  me  lately  by  the  per- 
version of  a  friend  of  Lang's.  The  Doctor,  of  course^  was 
very  satisfactory.  'Did  you  ever  read  "Loss  and  Gain,"  by 

106 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

John  Henry  Newman?  If  not  I  shouldn't  advise  you  to 
do  so,'  said  the  Doctor.  But  the  way  it  came  up  was,  he 
took  me  to  see  St.  Bartholomew's  Chapel,  which  is  men- 
tioned in  that  work.  It  is  such  a  disgrace  to  Oriel.  The 
religious  house,  of  which  this  was  the  chapel,  was  sup- 
pressed and  given  to  Oriel.  The  chapel,  a  pretty  stone  one, 
of  very  good  style,  is  used  by  the  tenant,  a  farmer,  for  rub- 
bish. Think  of  the  desecration !  The  elevation  for  the  altar 
is  still  there;  the  chancel  steps,  the  gravestones,  the  rood- 
screen  still  stand,  but  the  whole  of  the  sacred  place  is  filled 
with  old  wagon  wheels,  doors,  barrels,  etc.  Isn't  it  shock- 
ing? The  Doctor  said  it  is  the  kind  of  place  that  would 
suit  our  purpose,  referring  to  the  League  of  Saint  Cross, 
which  he  had  not  forgotten,  although  I  had  not  mentioned 
it  again.  He  is  so  kind  and  considerate.  He  asked  me  if  I 
would  not  ever  come  to  England  again,  and  when  I  said  I 
thought  not,  he  said  he  was  sorry,  and  asked  me  particu- 
larly to  let  him  know  about  my  ordination — all  this  spon- 
taneously. I  had  not  been  speaking  of  it  at  all,  and  he  did 
it  in  the  midst  of  our  walk,  and  not  merely  when  he  was 
saying  good-bye.  He  said  he  would  be  in  Oxford  ten  days 
longer,  and  if  I  would  look  him  up  he  would  be  happy  to 
take  another  walk.  Now  I  tell  you  all  this  not  from  any 
feeling  of  conceit,  but  just  to  show  you  how  kind  he  is.  He 
seems  to  l>e  rather  provoked  at  Dr.  Nevins'  Preface  to  the 
Bonn  Conference,  as  he  alludes  in  it  very  disparagingly  to 
Dr.  Pusey.  I  hope  that  Dr.  Nevins  will  not  be  at  Bonn 
this  year,  but  some  one  who  really  understands  the  im- 
portance of  the  subject. 

"Dr.  King  criticised  one  of  my  sermons  most  carefully. 
He  does  take  so  much  trouble;  he  analyzed  it  and  paged  it 
and  read  it  three  times;  marked  the  good  points  and  the 

107 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

weak  ones.  He  thinks  that  Dr.  Pusey  is  the  best  example 
of  style  for  me  to  study.  I  am  quite  pleased.  What  I  most 
lack  is  analysis  and  due  proportion. 

"On  Tuesday  is  the  Cuddesdon  Festival,  and  Dr.  King 
has  got  me  an  invitation.  I  went  to  his  last  lecture  on 
Saturday;  he  has  been  dwelling  upon  the  good  points  of 
the  sectarian  bodies  and  urging  us  to  develop  those  same 
points  in  the  Church — the  personal  holiness  they  so  desire, 
the  closer  feeling  of  brotherhood  of  the  Congregationalists, 
and  their  longing  for  an  immediate  union  with  Our  Lord 
— all  of  which  the  Church,  of  course,  ought  to  and  does 
supply.  No  wonder  right-minded  and  earnest  people  de- 
tested the  cold  Erastianism  of  the  last  century;  but  surely 
the  time  has  come  for  the  Church  to  try  and  bring  back 
her  wandering  children.  If  only  Roman  Catholics  in  power 
were  like  the  men  we  read  about  with  such  intense  interest, 
how  might  we  hope  for  unity;  but  alas,  the  Vaticanists  are 
too  hideous  in  some  of  their  teaching.  The  notices  or  books 
of  devotion  for  the  month  of  Mary  lead  one  almost  to  despair 
of  their  ever  being  brought  back  from  their  Saint- worship 
to  the  worship  of  Him  who  is  Himself  the  Brother,  the 
Friend  of  sinners,  and  not  the  angry  Son  of  a  merciful,  for- 
giving Mother.  I  read  with  great  interest  Mr.  Oxenham's 
Preface  to  Dr.  Dollinger's  lectures  on  the  reunion  of  the 
Churches.  By  the  way,  it  was  dedicated  by  Mr.  Oxenham 
to  Liddon.  I  asked  the  Doctor  alxnit  it,  and  he  said  Roman 
Catholics  were  very  angry  at  it  and  had  sat  upon  Mr. 
Oxenham  in  consequence.  The  Doctor  said  he  was  afraid 
that  Mr.  Oxenham  had  gone  back  a  little  in  the  last  year 
— certainly  the  preface  was  wonderfully  liberal.  Let  us 
pray  that  there  may  be  thousands  of  others  like  him,  long- 
ing for  unity.  Do  you  pray  for  it?  I  think  that  we  ought 

108 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

to  teach  people  the  necessity  for  intercessory  prayer  more 
than  we  do.  It  is  a  thing  about  which  there  is  most  woful 
ignorance,  even  with  myself,  until  very  lately,  not  wilfully 
but  because  I  knew  no  better. 

"There  have  been  two  interesting  lectures  on  India  by 
the  Professor  of  Sanskrit.  Really  the  way  that  an  edu- 
cated Brahman  explains  their  idolatry  is  identically  the 
same  as  the  Roman  Catholics'.  Apparently  they,  too,  have 
vagtie  ideas  about  the  Trinity,  and  the  need  of  an  incarna- 
tion of  God.  It  is  most  interesting.  .  .  . 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD. 

"June  17,  1876. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

"For  the  last  time  do  I  write  you  from  Oxford.  By 
Saturday  next,  I  hope  my  sister  will  Ix?  safely  here.  I  sup- 
pose I  am  the  most  absurd  person,  but  really  I  have  not  the 
least  desire  to  go  travelling  this  summer,  not  the  least. 
Oughtn't  I  to  be  ashamed  of  myself  not  to  appreciate  the 
opportunities  that  are  given  me?  Well.  I  am  ashamed,  but 
I  cannot  excite  the  smallest  enthusiasm.  Perhaps,  though, 
when  my  sister  is  with  me,  it  will  l>e  different.  At  any  rate 
I  have  no  intention  of  putting  any  damper  upon  her  enjoy- 
ment by  seeming  uninterested  or  bored.  It  is  not  that  I  am 
lazy  and  don't  want  to  move,  for  I  should  like  to  have  some 
active  work.  The  dangers  of  travelling  are  fearful.  I  don't 
mean  the  risk  of  one's  life,  physical  life,  but  the  spiritual. 
It  is  so  extremely  easy  to  omit  one's  duties.  I  suppose  a 
good  way  to  keep  them  is  not  to  have  too  many,  but  to  be 

10U 


very  particular  about  those  rules  you  do  make.  Dr.  King 
made  some  very  sensible  remarks  apropos  of  this  last  night 
—that  it  is  much  better  to  propose  to  read  one  book,  and 
do  it,  than  to  lug  about  in  one's  bag  a  small  library. 

"I  dined  at  Exeter  College  on  Sunday  and  went  to  Com- 
pline in  the  rooms  of  my  host.  It  is  very  helpful  to  see  a 
lot  of  University  men  not  ashamed  but  glad  to  meet  for 
extra  prayers. 

"I  went  over  to  Cuddesdon  on  Tuesday  for  the  festival. 
It  was  silly  for  me  to  go  on  an  anniversary  day,  for  nat- 
urally everyone  had  his  friends  to  look  after,  and  so  I  felt 
rather  in  the  way;  not  that  anything  was  done  to  make  me 
feel  so.  There  was  a  surpliced  procession  of  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men,  headed  by  a  cross  bearer  and  followed 
by  a  chaplain  with  the  pastoral  staff  and  the  Lord  Bishops 
of  Oxford  and  Maritzburg.  They  sang  as  they  walked 
from  the  college  to  the  parish  church.  After  the  service  of 
Matins  there  was  a  luncheon  in  a  tent  on  the  lawn.  .  .  . 
They  certainly  have  wonderfully  good  officers  at  Cuddes- 
don; Dr.  King,  Dr.  Liddon,  who  was  vice-president  for 
five  years,  and  now  Canon  Furse,  who  is  a  splendid 
man.  They  only  have  three  officers,  president,  vice-presi- 
dent and  chaplain.  They  generally  have  about  twenty  men, 
and  the  term  is  only  one  year.  Certainly  the  men  they  turn 
out  are  excellent  specimens.  I  have  met  a  good  many  at 
Dr.  King's,  who  all  say  it  was  the  happiest  year  of  their 
lives.  They  have  good  buildings  and  chapel  and  library. 
It  is  in  a  very  quiet  little  village,  seven  and  a  half  miles 
from  Oxford.  The  atmosphere  is  thoroughly  Catholic,  and 
the  president,  vice-president  and  chaplain  are  all  of  one 
mind ;  so  naturally  the  influence  is  both  strong  and  good. 
After  the  festival  they  have  a  retreat  for  old  students,  of 

110 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

whom  there  were  a  great  many  present.  It  really  made  me 
envious.  Would  that  the  G.  T.  S.  could  become  more  like 
it!  How  wonderful  it  would  be !  Perhaps  the  little  League 
of  Saint  Cross  may  be  able  to  help  a  few  along.  Let  us 
hope  at  any  rate  and  pray. 

"I  should  like  to  know  what  is  to  become  of  yourself  and 
myself.  One  cannot  forecast  at  all.  If  it  so  happens  that 
for  a  time  we  may  not  be  able  to  live  together,  I  see  no 
reason  why  a  solemn  league  and  covenant  might  not  be  made 
by  which  we  could  agree  to  meet  if  possible  at  one  of  our 
rectories  for. mutual  counsel  and  encouragement,  and  per- 
haps for  a  retreat.  Why,  at  least,  shouldn't  we  have  an  as- 
sociation of  prayer  called  the  League  of  St.  Cross,  and  about 
which  there  need  be  no  secret?  It  is  a  great  thing  to  get 
people  to  help  us  with  their  prayers.  I  am  the  precipitate 
one,  am  I  not? 

"Which  would  be  a  good  motto?  Galatians,  VI.  14. 
either  whole,  or  first  or  latter  half;  or  Galatians.  II,  20;  or 
Philippians,  IV,  13;  or  the  old  Oratorian  one,  "Omnia  ves- 
tra  in  caritate  fiant?'*  What  do  you  say  to  a  cross  with  a 
motto  for  associates?  Tell  me  which  motto  you  prefer,  or 
suggest  others.  "Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


*  The  passages  taken  from  the  Protestant  version  and  referred  to  as 
suitable  for  a  motto  for  the  projected  League  of  Saint  Cross,  or  So- 
ciety of  the  Holy  Cross,  are : 

"But  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  by  whom  the  world  is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the 
world." 

"I  am  crucified  with  Christ:  nevertheless  I  live:  yet  not  I.  hut 
Christ  livcth  in  me:  and  the  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by 
the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me  and  gave  Himself  for  me." 

"I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  which  strengthened  me." 

Ill 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

In  June  Van  Rensselaer's  only  unmarried  sister  came 
over  to  England,  and  they  travelled  together  all  that  sum- 
mer. Fortunately  we  have  three  letters,  which  we  subjoin, 
giving  an  account  of  his  last  student  days  at  Oxford,  and 
of  the  trip  through  England  and  Scotland. 


"WlNDERMERE, 

"June  25,  1876. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

I  am  really  off  on  my  summer  tour,  you  see, 
and  so  far,  so  well.  I  left  Oxford  on  Friday  for  Liverpool, 
and  on  Saturday,  at  noon,  the  Scythia  arrived.  It  was  very 
pleasant  to  see  so  many  home  faces  again — one  new  one, 
too,  in  my  smallest  niece,-  a  very  beautiful  child.  Our  fam- 
ily party  broke  up,  part  going  to  London  and  the  rest  to  the 
Lake  districts.  You  will  be  amused  to  hear  that  my  sister 
and  I  have,  as  our  travelling  companion,  Dr.  Tyng's  new 
associate  rector,  Dr.  Williams.  They  all  liked  him  very 
much  on  the  steamer,  and  he  was  proposing  to  himself  the 
same  tour  as  my  sister  and  I,  so  we  thought  it  would  be 
pleasant  to  join  company,  as  he  is  alone.  He  is  about  forty- 
five,  and  is  very  companionable,  an  excellent  churchman  in 
many  respects,  and  very  liberal.  He  is  by  birth  a  Virginian, 
has  had  a  parish  at  Georgetown,  D.  C,  for  ten  years,  and 
regrets  the  lack  of  church  discipline  in  the  diocese.  He  has 
really  some  excellent  ideas  upon  the  subjects  which  we  have 
discussed ;  that  is,  he  has  always  made  a  rule  never  to  allow 
any  persons  to  be  sponsors  unless  they  were  communicants. 
Good  and  brave,  isn't  it? 

"We  are  spending  Sunday  in  just  the  very  loveliest  place 
imaginable,  a  pretty  little  village  on  Lake  Windermere;  the 

112 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

hotel  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  lake,  beautiful  trees,  flower- 
ing shrubs  on  all  sides,  the  water  blue.  There  is  a  quaint 
old  church  here,  prettily  decorated,  surpliced  choir,  etc.  We 
were  so  disappointed  to  find  that  there  had  been  a  Celebra- 
tion at  9.  We  asked  at  the  hotel,  and  they  said  there  was 
no  service  until  10.45. 

"I  went  yesterday  to  an  early  Celebration  at  St.  Mar- 
garet's, Liverpool — a  beautiful  chin  ch.  I  never  saw  one  I 
liked  better.  I  must  go  backward  a  I'ttle  and  tell  you  about 
leaving  Oxford.  I  went  to  the  Commemoration  on  Wednes- 
day, and  it  is  a  stupid  enough  affair,  I  asure  you.  There 
was  some  fun,  though,  before  it  began.  The  undergrads 
made  funny  remarks,  and  gave  cheers  for  people,  etc.,  Gir- 
ton  College  (women,  you  know)  among  them.  The  Vice- 
Chancellor  made  a  Latin  speech,  encouraged  by  such  re- 
marks as  'Cut  it  short,'  'Wind  her  up,'  etc.  When  he  con- 
ferred D.  C.  L.'s,  he  had  to  repeat  the  same  form  of  words 
about  ten  times,  and  after  doing  it  once  or  twice  he  was  told 
not  to  do  it  again.  The  poor  old  gentleman  didn't  exactly 
enjoy  it,  and  whenever  a  popular  man  got  the  D.  C.  L.  the 
wretched  undergraduates  would  cap  the  Vice-Chancellor's 
speech  with  a  chorus  of  'For  he's  a  jolly  good  fellow,'  etc., 
and  it  was  very  funny.  By  far  the  best  looking  man  who 
received  the  degree  was  Lieutenant  Cameron,  of  African 
fame.  He  really  was  intelligent  looking.  Some  of  the  others 
looked  as  though  they  had  been  brought  up  on  Latin  and 
Greek  roots,  and  the  diet  had  not  agreed  with  them.  The 
Bishop  of  Derry  was  an  exception. 

"I  must  tell  you  about  Liddon.  He  told  his  class  if  they 
wanted  the  conclusion  of  his  analysis  to  go  to  his  rooms  on 
Tuesday.  So  I  went.  I  was  going  to  say  good-bye,  but  he 
asked  me  if  I  wouldn't  like  to  walk.  Of  course  I  did,  so  we 

113 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

went  out  walking.  He  again  alluded  to  the  League  of 
Saint  Cross  of  his  own  accord,  and  wanted  to  know  if  we 
couldn't  start  by  having  a  clergy  house ;  so  you  see  he  would 
seem  to  approve  of  our  beginning  at  once.  I  suggested  an 
association  of  prayer,  which  he  thought  would  be  excellent. 
He  promised  to  compose  a  prayer  for  us  to  use,  if  I  should 
write  and  tell  him  what  we  wanted.  He  takes  great  interest 
in  our  spiritual  welfare.  Why  shouldn't  we  have  an  asso- 
ciation? Did  I  speak  of  it  in  my  last  letter?  One  of  our 
friends  wrote  that  he  had  a  strong  longing  for  the  Religious 
life,  but  would  not  allow  himself  to  think  about  it  for  sev- 
eral years,  which  would  amount  to  his  being  engaged  in  the 
meanwhile,  if  not  married.  Now,  we  ought  to  see  what  we 
can  do  to  help  each  other  along ;  he  might  be  very  useful  in 
the  L.  S.  C.  Why  shouldn't  we  have  a  form  of  prayer  and 
intercession  and  a  few  rules  like  those  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  the  Holy  Trinity  at  Oxford  and  Cambridge?  They  are 
not  severe  and  are  good  for  a  beginning.  Then,  if  we  could 
meet  each  other  occasionally,  at  least  once  a  year,  for  a  re- 
treat and  a  conference,  in  a  little  while  we  might  try  in  good 
earnest.  I  feel  sure  that  there  must  be  many  other  men  like 
ourselves,  only  waiting  for  something  to  turn  up  and  help 
them. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 


"MELROSE, 

"St.  Peter's  Day,  June  29,  1876. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS: 

"I  did  hope  to  have  sent  this  off  l>efore  now,  but  one  has 
so  very  little  time  in  travelling,  and  we  are  travelling  with  a 

114 


LETTERS  FROM   OXFORD 

vengeance.  To-morrow  night  we  hope  to  be  in  England 
again.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  the  saying — I'appetit  vient 
en  rnangeant — in  my  case,  is  untrue  of  travelling;  for  the 
more  I  travel  the  less  I  care  for  it.  I  cannot  get  up  any  ex- 
citement at  all,  and  it  is  really  most  tiresome  to  me.  My 
sister  and  Dr.  Williams  enjoy  it  all  immensely.  On  some 
accounts  I  would  just  as  lief  not  have  him.  My  sister  says 
it  is  fortunate  that  he  is  with  us,  as  I  should  be  tempted  to 
hurry  her  past  a  great  many  interesting  places,  which  is 
rather  mean,  considering  that  I  am  here  entirely  on  her 
account. 

"We  saw  the  English  lakes  under  the  most  favorable  con- 
ditions; shed  some  tears  over  Wordsworth,  Southey,  etc., 
and  came  to  Edinburgh.  Holyrood,  of  course,  is  very  in- 
teresting, but  I  hate  to  be  in  Scotland  on  account  of  the  pre- 
vailing religion.  Everything  speaks  to  me  of  desecration, 
ruined  abbeys,  or,  sadder  yet,  cathedrals  and  churches  trans- 
formed into  kirks  and  meeting-houses.  No  doubt  the  monks 

were  bad,  but and  to  think  of  people  daring  to  destroy 

the  houses  of  God,  and  to  use  the  materials  to  build  them- 
selves houses — how  dare  they  do  it  ?  No,  I  may  be  narrow- 
minded,  but  it  is  a  fact  all  the  same,  that  I  cannot  see  any- 
thing nowadays  except  in  connection  with  the  Church  and 
the  Church's  Head. 

"On  Tuesday  we  went  to  Roslyn  Chapel,  a  most  exquisite 
thing,  built  in  the  fifteenth  century,  apparently  regardless 
of  expense,  entirely  of  stone;  every  stone,  almost,  beauti- 
fully carved.  It  is  really  a  wonderful  piece  of  work.  In 
those  days  nothing  was  too  rich  or  too  expensive  for  the 
tflory  of  God.  The  present  Earl  of  Roslyn,  a  Catholic  (not 
Roman  Catholic)  has  restored  it  to  the  service  and  'ad  ma- 
jorem  Dei  gloriam,'  as  he  calls  it — keeps  a  chaplain  and  has 

115 


LIFE  OP  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

the  chapel  properly  equipped,  cross,  candles,  etc.,  and  ser- 
vices, although  he  does  not  himself  live  near.  It  is  encour- 
aging in  such  a  dead  level  of  Presbyterianism. 

"This  morning  we  went  to  an  early  Celebration  of  All 
Saints'  Cathedral,  Edinburgh.  It  is  Catholic  too.  They 
used  the  Scotch  Liturgy,  which  is  more  like  the  Roman 
than  ours.  The  Consecration  and  oblation  come  first,  then 
the  prayer  for  the  Church  and  the  Lord's  Prayer  before 
Communion.  I  rather  like  it.  Yesterday  we  made  a  tour 
of  the  Scotch  lakes,  Lomond  and  Katrine,  and  Stirling 
Castle,  and  to-day  we  have  been  to  the  Abbey  here  and  to 
Dryburgh.  The  latter  is  most  beautiful,  although  very  ruin- 
ous, and  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  exclusive  grounds.  Sir 
Walter  Scott  is  buried  in  one  of  the  ruined  chapels ;  but  it  is 
altogether  sad  to  my  mind  to  see  such  ruins.  To-morrow 
morning  we  go  to  Abbotsford,  and  then  on  to  Durham  and 
York,  etc. 

"Perhaps  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  I  have  taken  our 
passage  for  September  9th,  in  the  Scythia,  and  I  hope  that 
we  shall  get  off  then,  though  our  departure  may  be  post- 
poned until  a  little  later  if  necessary.  I  shall  be  so  glad  to 
get  back.  Can't  you  wait  for  my  return  for  your  retreat  at 
Boston,  and  we  shall  go  together? 

"I  did  not  tell  you  about  Liddon's  farewell.  I  asked  him 
for  his  blessing,  and  he  not  only  gave  me  that,  but  went  up- 
stairs and  tried  to  find  a  little  book  of  Bishop  Andrewes 
on  Devotion  for  the  Sick,  for  which  he  had  written  a  pref- 
ace. He  did  not  find  it,  and  he  brought  me  'Some  Elements' 
instead.  He  asked  me  if  I  had  it ;  I  said  that  I  had.  I  didn't 
know  what  the  other  book  was  and  rather  wanted  it.  So  he 
rummaged  round  and  found  a  copy,  in  which  he  wrote: 
'From  his  affectionate  friend,  H.  P.  Liddon,'  and  in  Greek, 

110 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

'Contend  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  Saints/  He 
asked  me  to  write  to  him,  as  if  he  really  cared  to  hear,  and 
said  that  I  mustn't  mind  sometimes  if  he  could  not  always 
answer  on  account  of  business.  Wasn't  it  good  of  him? 
Well,  you  know,  I  did  hanker  for  the  'Some  Elements' 
dreadfully,  but  didn't  like  to  tell  him  so.  The  other  little 
book  is  nice,  but  mostly  Bishop  Andrewcs',  which  was  proba- 
bly the  reason  why  he  selected  it,  being  like  most  truly  great 
men — modest.  I  could  not  resist  writing  him  a  little  note 
the  next  day,  asking  him  if  I  could  not  have  'Some  Ele- 
ments' he  had  meant  to  give  me.  The  book  came  in  reply 
with  the  motto  from  St.  Augustine — *Ama  et  fac  quod  vis' 
— and  of  course  my  name,  and  from  him.  The  angelic  Dr. 
King  gave  me  a  copy  of  St.  Anselm's  Meditations,  with  a 
very  touching  inscription.  My  friend  Lang  gave  me  'Prome- 
theus Vinctus,'  clone  into  English  verse  by  himself  at  the 
age  of  17.  It  was  quite  a  wrench  for  me  to  leave  Oxford. 
I  have  forgotten  a  most  unlooked-for  token  from  my  fellow 
boarder,  Miss  Seal,  a  beautifully  worked  chalice  veil,  cor- 
poral, etc.,  done  by  herself,  lace  and  all.  I  had  my  photo- 
graph taken  for  my  Oxford  friends  in  ordinary  dress;  I  will 
send  you  one.  Don't  think  about  St.  Clement's,  I  beg  you. 
If  you  take  a  holiday  do  write;  have  heard  nothing  more 
about  Keble  College. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY/' 


After  the  visit  to  Scotland,  the  little  party  then  crossed 
over  to  Holland  and  Belgium.  The  Low  Countries  infected 
Van  Rensselaer  with  malaria,  so  that,  when  they  got  into 
Switzerland  via  the  Rhine  he  was  taken  down  with  a  fever. 

117 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

This  interrupted  his  plans  somewhat,  for  towards  the  close 
of  August  he  was  again  at  Oxford,  where  he  remained  until 
his  departure  for  America  a  fortnight  later.  By  this  time 
he  had  definitely  abandoned  his  purpose  of  working  among 
the  poor  on  the  East  Side,  but  he  still  clung  to  the  dream  of 
founding  a  religious  community  that  would  fill  a  very  notice- 
able gap  in  the  American  branch  of  the  Anglican  Church. 
He  again  refers  to  the  subject  in  these  two  letters,  which 
were  the  last  he  wrote  from  England. 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 
"St.  Bartholomew's  Day,  August  24,  1876. 

"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS  : 

"I  am  once  more  comfortably  installed  in  my  old  quarters 
here,  and  it  seems  natural  and  pleasant.  ...  I  don't 
see  the  advantage  for  you  of  a  year  spent  working  in  Lon- 
don as  a  member  of  the  League  of  Saint  Cross.  Of  course 
I  understand  your  idea  of  learning  to  work  among  the  poor, 
but  after  all  the  Oratorian  work  and  life  is  not  one  devoted 
to  parish  work,  but  more  one  to  be  spent  in  trying  to  pro- 
mote spirituality  among  the  seminarians  and  clergy,  one  to 
try  and  raise  the  tone  of  the  clergy  both  intellectually  and 
spiritually.  But  how  will  a  year  of  hard  work  among  the 
poor  conduce  to  fitting  you  for  it?  It  strikes  me  that  what 
we  need  is  enough,  not  overmuch,  work,  time  for  medita- 
tion and  prayer,  and  as  much  retirement  as  possible.  As 
you  say,  we  should  not  get  too  much  interested  in  individ- 
uals and  places.  That  was  one  of  my  chief  reasons  for  giv- 
ing up  Avenue  C.  I  knew  I  should  be  much  interested,  and 
that  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  tear  myself  away  from 
it  after  having  once  taken  it  up.  We  really  ought  to  exert 

118 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

ourselves  to  the  utmost  to  be  together,  and  near  enough 
New  York  to  have  an  influence  at  the  General  Theological 
Seminary.  .  .  . 

"I  am  sure  it  will  all  come  out  right,  and  I  have  the  live- 
liest hopes  for  the  League  of  Saint  Cross.  Don't  you  think 
you  have  overlooked  the  main  object  of  'L'Oratoire'  in  your 
desire  to  be  an  efficient  parish  priest?  .  .  . 

"It  is  very  pleasant  to  be  settled  again  within  sound  of 
the  church  bells.  I  go  to  a  retreat  at  the  Fathers'  on  Mon- 
day to  last  until  Friday  evening.  I  hope  I  shall  get  back 
some  spirituality,  for  I  feel  so  haryd  and  dry  now.  How 
true  it  is  that  if  one  does  not  go  forward  in  the  spiritual 
life  one  does  not  stand  still,  but  goes  backward.  The  retreat 
is  to  be  for  priests,  so  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  don  my 
clericals,  cassock  at  least,  so  as  not  to  be  conspicuous.  I 
received  a  warm  welcome  from  the  Fathers  and  dined  there 
yesterday.  They  never  try  to  convert  me:  only  Father 
Prescott  does  that 

"What  a  work  there  is  to  be  done,  and  doesn't  it  seem 
well  nigh  presumptuous  for  us  young  men  to  try  to  do  the 
little  we  can.  It  would  be  so  indeed  if  we  did  not  firmly 
believe  the  truth:  'Ye  have  not  chosen  me,  but  I  have 
chosen  you.'  How  that  alters  everything.  No  longer  pre- 
sumptuous, no  longer  hopeless,  but  in  quiet  confidence  and 
with  an  holy  boldness,  being  called,  we  obey  the  Master's 
voice.  People  are  sure  to  say:  'You  ought  to  wait  for 
some  older  and  more  experienced  person  to  lead  the  way' ; 
but  look  at  the  founders  of  the  Religious  Orders;  none  of 
them  were  old  men  when  they  started  them.  All  began 
their  work  young,  even  if  the  completion  was  long  de- 
ferred. .  .  .  "Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY." 
119 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

"31  IFFLEY  ROAD,  OXFORD, 

"September  1,  187G. 
"Mv  DEAR  FRANCIS  : 

" .  .  .  I  am  now  writing  to  you  for  the  very  last 
time  from  Oxford,  at  least  so  far  as  I  can  tell.  This  night 
week  we  shall  be  in  Liverpool  ready  to  sail  on  Saturday.  I 
am  sure  you  are  pining  to  go  to  New  York.  Do  come  on 
to  meet  me,  or  if  not  that,  as  soon  as  possible.  You  may 
have  been  expecting  to  hear  of  Mr.  Lowder's  decision,  but 
you  know  one  can  read  no  letters  during  retreat,  and  so  I 
did  not  get  his  answer  until  to-day.  He  says  that  he  is 
sorry  that  he  'has  no  room  for  you,  but  advises  me  to  apply 
to  Father  Benson,  who  can  doubtless  assist  me  to  find  a 
place.  I  still  cling  to  the  idea  of  Hoboken.  Do  you  have  a 
letter  waiting  for  me  at  'home  telling  me  whether  Mr.  Weth- 
erill  is  at  the  Holy  Innocents'  or  not.  If  he  is  I  shall  go 
over  and  see  him  before  calling  on  the  Bishop,  as  it  would 
be  well  to  have  my  plans  laid  before  seeing  him.  I  don't 
think  there  is  a  chance  of  my  going  back  to  England,  cer- 
tainly not  at  once;  not  for  any  lukewarmness  for  the  in- 
terest of  the  L.  S.  C,  I  assure  you. 

"I  don't  see  how  its  interests  will  be  advanced  by  such 
a  step.  I  am  reading  Mrs.  Oliphant's  Life  of  St.  Francis  of 
Assisi,  and  am  almost  convinced  that  his  example  might  be 
followed  with  advantage  in  this  century.  What  think  you 
of  turning  Franciscan?  I  am  not  jesting,  I  have  really  been 
thinking  of  it;  not  the  Roman  Catholic  Order,  but  one  like 
it ;  yet  I  fear  you  will  laugh  at  me  and  say  it  does  not  look 
much  like  it  to  be  buying  lots  of  clothes  and  books,  etc.  It 
is  a  little  contradictory,  to  be  sure. 

"The  retreat  ended  this  morning;  there  were  eighteen 
priests  and  your  brother  Henry,  disguised  as  a  priest  in 

120 


LETTERS  FROM  OXFORD 

cassock  and  clerical  collar.  It  seemed  quite  natural  for  me. 
Father  Benson  was  the  conductor  and  gave  very  good  ad- 
dresses, although  a  trifle  transcendental.  He  has  a  deep  in- 
sight into  spiritual  things.  I  think,  though,  that  in  all  my 
life  I  never  passed  three  longer  days.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
day  would  never  come  to  an  end.  There  were  four  ad- 
dresses a  day — think  of  it !  On  Wednesday  they  had  special 
services  for  missions  and  a  litany  which  seemed  perfectly 
endless.  You  think  me  very  bad,  but  I  can't  help  it.  I  am 
afraid  I  have  no  vocation  for  the  Evangelist  Fathers'  life. 
God  grant  I  may  have  for  another  phase  of  the  Religious 
life.  After  being  silent  all  the  week,  it  seemed  as  if  I  could 
not  sing  enough  when  I  got  back  here.  My  landlady  says 
she  likes  me  to  do  it. 

"  .  .  .  I  gave  a  hint  of  our  plan  to  Tompkins,  who 
takes  the  greatest  possible  interest  in  the  League  of  Saint 
Cross  and  longs  to  help  us.  He  already  does  so  with  his 
prayers.  A  lady  member  of  the  Confraternity  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  is  his  right-hand  helper.  Poor  fellow,  he  has  a 
hard  struggle  out  there  in  the  West.  You  should  hear  him 
speak  about  Sectarianism.  It  would  do  your  heart  good.  I 
cannot  but  feel  that,  under  God,  I  have  had  influence  on 
him,  which  only  shows  how  much  a  little  sympathy  and 
kindness  can  effect.  Let  us  be  encouraged,  dear  friend,  to 
try  what  we  can  do  for  others. 

"What  a  delight  it  will  be  to  see  you  again,  but  I  also 
dread  it  too.  You  may  have  imagined  or  hoped  that  you 
would  see  a  great  change  for  the  better  in  me.  Alas !  I  fear 
that  the  improvement  is  but  small,  but  I  do  not  despair. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"HENRY,  L.  S.  C" 

121 


CHAPTER    VII. 
ANGLICAN  DEACON. 

IN  mid-September  Van  Rensselaer  arrived  in  America,  and 
about  a  month  later,  on  St.  Luke's  Day,  October  18, 
1876,  Bishop  Horatio  Potter  ordained  him  deacon.  He 
had  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  always  teach  exactly 
what  he  believed,  and  he  had  quite  definite  ideas  on  religious 
matters.  Being  independent  of  salary,  he  determined  to 
cast  his  lot  with  his  friend  at  the  seminary,  Francis  P. 
Mackall,  also  a  deacon,  who  had  decided  to  work  in  the  new 
parish  of  the  Holy  Innocents,  Hoboken.  The  rector  was 
pleased  to  have  their  services  for  nothing,  and  gave  them 
free  fling.  Opposite  the  church  they  took  an  apartment, 
which  they  fitted  up  in  monastic  style,  with  a  chapel  and 
altar.  Indoors  they  always  wore  cassock  and  biretta. 

Thus  was  Van  Rensselaer  installed  in  his  new  field  of 
work  as  an  ordained  deacon  of  the  Anglican  Church  in 
America.  New  experiences  crowded  in  upon  him,  and  all 
the  while  he  was  drawing  nearer,  albeit  unconsciously,  to 
the  truth,  the  evidences  of  which  could  not  be  long  delayed., 
The  rector  was  supposed  to  be  a  very  high  churchman.  At 
all  events  he  liked  ritualism.  To  check  his  exalted  views, 
the  trustees  of  the  church  had  named  an  assistant  of  the 
lowest  type  of  churchman.  The  other  assistants  deemed 
him  unorthodox,  and  with  the  rector's  connivance  and  co- 
operation, they  denounced  him  to  the  Bishop  of  New  Jersey, 
Dr.  Odenheimer,  on  the  charge  of  Nestorianism.  The 
bishop  suspended  him.  This,  however,  the  good  assistant 


ANGLICAN   DEACON. 

declared  he  did  not  mind,  as  he  was  simply  relieved  of  his 
duties.     He  continued  to  draw  his  salary. 

At  times  there  were  extravagant  exhibitions  of  ritualism. 

"I  shall  never  forget  the  midnight  mass  that  Christmas 
in  the  Holy  Innocents,"  he  says.  "We  were  to  appear  for 
the  first  time  in  vestments.  As  these  were  tentative,  they 
were  made  of  linen.  The  effect,  especially  of  the  dalmatics, 
was  startling,  and  when  the  choristers  beheld  us  they  burst 
out  laughing  and  whispered  audibly  'night  shirts.'  But  we 
went  out  all  the  same  in  solemn  procession  through  the 
church,  to  the  great  admiration  of  the  people. 

"Those  were  wonderful  functions  of  the"  go-as-you-please 
style,  and  necessarily  so,  for  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer 
makes  no  provision  for  such  Popish  ceremonies. 

"Another  sample  of  the  absurdity  of  ritualism  was  given 
at  a  funeral  of  one  of  our  choristers.  We  decided  to  have 
a  requiem  mass.  Of  course,  there  is  no  provision  made  in 
the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  for  a  mass  of  any  kind,  as  the 
Articles  of  Religion  in  that  book  denounce  masses  as  an 
abomination  and  a  Popish  invention.  But  such  a  denuncia- 
tion only  whets  the  desire  of  a  Ritualist.  So  a  mass  of 
requiem  was  to  be  sung.  But  how  alxmt  vestments?  Our 
church  had  not  risen  to  the  height  of  colored  vestments,  ex- 
cept stoles.  They  had  to  be  lx>rrowed.  We  selected  violet 
ones  as  being  less  lugubrious.  Violet  ones  were,  therefore, 
procured  for  the  occasion  from  a  very  high  church  in  New 
York.  But  our  troubles  did  not  end  with  getting  vestments. 
How  were  we  to  transform  the  communion  service  in  the 
Prayer  Book  into  a  requiem  mass?  Some  parts  would  do, 
but  others  were  very  inappropriate.  What  connection  could 
there  be  between  the  dead  and  the  recital  of  the  ten  com- 
mandments with  the  response:  'Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us 

123 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

and  incline  our  hearts  to  keep  this  law'  ?  So  we  eliminated 
the  ten  commandments.  But  how  about  the  'Gloria  in 
Excelsis'?  This  seemed  too  joyous,  so  out  it  went  from 
our  constructed  mass.  The  ceremony,  in  fact,  was  a  very 
remarkable  one  and  evoked  much  comment,  as  well  it  might, 
for  neither  celebrant  nor  assistants  knew  what  was  to  be 
done,  as  there  were  no  rubrics  in  our  Prayer  Book  to  direct 
us." 

Life  in  church  matters  became  rather  discouraging  for 
Van  Rensselaer  and  Mackall.  The  assistant  minister  had 
been  evicted,  it  is  true,  but  there  was  no  responsive  chord 
in  the  congregation.  It  was  dreary,  indeed,  to  say  morning 
and  evening  prayer  for  one  person,  and  to  address  this  one 
person,  a  woman,  as  "dearly  beloved  brethren."  To  make 
matters  worse  they  were  only  a  couple  of  blocks  away  from 
a  Catholic  church.  It  made  them  green  with  envy  when 
they  saw  the  crowds  that  poured  into  it  on  Sunday,  and 
even  on  week-days.  What  a  contrast  was  the  Catholic 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace  to  their  poor  Holy  Innocents ! 

The  rector  was  hardly  the  man  to  help  them  in  their  diffi- 
culties, as  may  be  judged  from  the  following  incident : — 

"We  had  a  trial  in  Lent,  when  the  rector  slated  himself 
for  a  course  of  sermons.  Perhaps  the  most  read  book  in 
those  days  in  religious  circles  was  Farrar's  'Life  of  Christ.' 
There  were  many  cheap  editions,  and  every  Protestant 
household  was  likely  to  possess  a  copy.  What  was  our 
dismay  when  the  opening  sermon  of  the  course  was  a  chap- 
ter, word  for  word,  from  this  book,  carefully  copied  and 
read.  Now  Farrar  is  absolutely  heretical  in  his  teaching 
about  the  temptations  of  Christ,  stating,  as  he  does,  that 
Christ  could  have  sinned.  What  was  to  be  done  to  ward  off 
the  reading  of  such  a  doctrine  ?  It  was  bad  enough  to  have 

124 


ANGLICAN   DEACON. 

any  of  the  book  read,  for  we  knew  that  members  of  the 
congregation  had  it  at  home,  and  would  probably  recognize 
the  steal.  So,  as  that  Sunday  he  was  to  dine  with  us,  we 
put  our  copy  of  the  book,  opened  at  the  chapter,  in  a  most 
prominent  place.  But  as  it  did  not  seem  to  attract  his  at- 
tention, we  deliberately  brought  up  the  subject  of  Farrar's 
heretical  teaching  on  that  point.  The  shaft  went  home.  The 
rector  became  excited  and,  saying  that  he  had  a  few  finish- 
ing touches  to  put  to  that  night's  sermon,  excused  himself 
and  went  home.  So  that  night  we  had  Farrar  amended." 

After  a  couple  of  months  Van  Rensselaer  became  con- 
vinced that  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  had  no  authori- 
tative teaching,  nor  the  authority  to  teach.  People  believed 
as  much  or  as  little  as  they  liked.  The  reading  of  Allies' 
"See  of  Peter,"  which  deals  with  authority  and  jurisdiction, 
made  a  serious  impression  upon  him.  Newman's  "Anglican 
Difficulties"  did  not  improve  the  Anglican  position  in  his 
eyes.  But  he  was  fair  and  read  the  other  side  as  well.  Hes- 
sey's  "Rise  of  the  Papal  Power"  and  Pusey's  "Eirenicon" 
were  supposed  to  be  antidotes  to  Allies'  "Sec  of  Peter"  and 
Newman's  "Apologia."  The  more  he  read  the  Anglican 
side  the  more  disposed  was  he  to  the  Roman. 

These  views  were  all  shared  by  his  clerical  friend,  to 
whom  he  had  written  frequently  from  Oxford,  and  who  was 
now  associated  with  him,  as  fellow  assistant,  at  the  Holy 
Innocents,  Hoboken.  Yet  they  would  not  make  their  submis- 
sion to  Rome  while  they  had  any  misgivings  as  to  the  step, 
or  while  there  was  a  single  loop-hole  of  escape.  He  writes: 

"When  our  position  became  unlwarable,  we  turned  to 
our  erstwhile  confessor  of  seminary  days  and  wrote  to  him 
of  our  troubles.  The  answer  was :  Tome  on  to  the  Church 
of  the  Advent  in  Boston* — where  he  was  the  superior  and 

125 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

rector.  This  was  the  old  'Advent'  in  Bowdoin  Street,  not 
the  new  one  of  the  name  in  Mt.  Vernon  Street.  So  to  Bos- 
ton we  betook  ourselves,  my  friend  and  I.  We  met  with  a 
warm  welcome  and  the  assurance  that  we  had  no  real  diffi- 
culties, but  that  our  dissatisfaction  was  the  natural  result 
of  our  being  unsucessful  in  Catholicizing  our  congrega- 
tion. This  did  not  satisfy  our  doubts;  so  we  began  to 
question  some  of  the  other  'Fathers,'  to  the  chagrin  of  the 
superior,  who  made  the  proud  claim  that  he  was  the  first 
monk  ordained  in  England  since  the  Reformation.  Had 
he  qualified  the  assertion  by  prefixing  Protestant  to  the 
monk,  it  might  have  been  true.  Among  the  daily  prayers 
recited  in  community  was  one  that  struck  us  as  being  pecu- 
liar. It  was  for  the  restoration  of  the  abbey  lands  in  Eng- 
land. I  asked  the  superior  the  meaning  of  the  prayer,  and 
to  whom  should  the  lands,  in  his  estimation,  be  returned. 
This  was  an  unexpected  question,  and  he  was  nonplussed 
for  a  while;  then  he  said:  'Why,  to  us,  of  course;  the 
rightful  successors.j  This  was  a  little  too  much ;  so  I  asked 
in  what  conceivable  way  the  Cowley  Fathers  could  be  the 
rightful  successors  of  Carthusians,  Cistercians,  Augustin- 
ians,  Franciscans  and  Dominicans?  The  only  reply  was  a 
contemptuous  'Bosh !'  But  he  saw  clearly  that  we  had  diffi- 
culties beyond  his  reach;  so  he  said  we  had  too  strong  an 
attack  of  the  Roman  fever  to  be  cured  by  him,  and  that  we 
had  better  go  where  we  belonged.  Yet,  his  advice  would 
be  for  us  to  go  to  some  congenial  parish,  where  we  might 
meet  with  the  success  we  yearned  for.  We  were  really 
docile.  My  friend  was  shipped  to  St.  Clement's,  Philadel- 
phia, and  I  to  the  House  of  Prayer,  Newark.  The  game 
was  to  separate  us.  We  made  no  opposition. 

"I  was  perfectly  frank  with  the  rector  in  Newark  and 

126 


ANGLICAN   DEACON. 

told  him  exactly  the  state  of  my  mind,  adding  that,  under 
the  circumstances,  I  did  not  think  I  could  take  any  active 
part  in  the  church  work.  He  said  that  he  understood  the 
case  perfectly,  as  he  had  himself  passed  through  the  same 
ordeal,  and  that  he  would  leave  me  perfectly  free;  that  he 
had  a  large  controversial  library  which  was  at  my  dis- 
posal. So  I  settled  clown  supposedly  to  study.  In  reality 
his  intention  was  to  keep  me  so  busy  that  I  should  not  have 
time  to  think.  Among  other  things,  I  was  to  have  charge 
of  the  men's  Bible  class.  I  had  not  been  long  in  Newark 
when  my  friend  wrote  me  that  his  position  in  Philadelphia 
was  unbearable  and  suggested  that  he  join  me.  I  proposed 
the  matter  to  the  rector,  and  he  approved  the  plan,  with  a 
full  understanding  of  the  state  of  our  minds.  So  my  friend 
came  on  to  Newark,  and  we  again  set  up  a  monastery  on  a 
small  scale.  The  charge  of  the  Sunday-school  was  given 
to  my  friend,  and  he  was  kept  busy  preparing  children  for 
communion  and  confirmation. 

"There  was  a  'mission'  given  in  our  church  by  the  Cow- 
ley  Fathers,  and  the  well  known  Father  Maturin  was  the 
chief  preacher.  He  labored  manfully  to  prove  the  catho- 
licity of  the  Protestant  Fpiscopal  Church,  but  the  cause 
was  a  hopeless  one,  and  his  failure  to  prove  his  point  a  help 
to  us.  He  was  unsucessful  in  his  efforts  to  bring  people  to 
confession.  A  handful  of  women  were  the  only  penitents. 
I  remember  well,  on  the  Sunday  afternoon  of  the  mission, 
the  members  of  one  of  the  regiments  of  Newark,  of  which 
the  rector  was  chaplain,  were  invited  to  attend.  I  hap- 
pened to  be  standing  just  outside  the  church  door  in  cas- 
sock and  birctta.  An  unmistakable  son  of  F.rin  sauntered 
up  and  took  off  his  hat  to  me.  T  at  once  asked  him  what 
church  he  attended.  He  answered  that  he  went  to  St. 

127 


LIFE  OF  H'ENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

James'.  I  asked  him  what  he  was  doing  at  the  House  of 
Prayer.  He  said  that  he  thought  it  no  harm.  I  bade  him 
go  home.  He  went.  My  action  in  this  matter  shows  how 
the  wind  was  blowing  Rome  ward.  The  breeze  was  stif- 
fening." 


128 


CHAPTER    VIII. 
His  CONVERSION. 

THE  weeks  wore  on,  but  no  peace  came  to  Henry's  mind. 
Catholicism  did  not  seem  any  more  attractive,  but 
Protestant  Episcopalianism  had  no  more  staying  power  for 
him.  It  was  impossible  to  continue  in  such  a  frame  of  mind. 
What  was  to  improve  it?  Of  Rome,  personally  he  knew 
nothing.  He  had  never  spoken  to  a  priest  on  the  subject, 
had  attended  very  few  Catholic  services,  and  had  a  mass  of 
prejudices  against  Rome. 

In  the  story  of  his  conversion  Van  Rensselaer  gives  a 
vivid  picture  of  the  doubt  and  torture  of  a  mind  on  the 
threshold  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

"No  one,"  he  says,  "who  has  not  passed  through  the  ex- 
perience can  realize  the  agony  of  mind  of  one  in  the  process 
of  conversion.  The  ground  seems  slipping  from  his  feet, 
and  there  is  no  coign  of  vantage  for  him.  He  knows  his 
own  Church,  but  he  is  ignorant  of  the  one  he  may  enter. 
Perhaps  he  may  not  be  any  better  satisfied  in  the  new  than 
in  the  old.  Why  venture  in  the  uncertainty?  Besides,  by 
leaving  his  own  Church  a  person  cuts  loose  from  all  the  ties 
that  have  bound  him  to  relatives  and  friends,  and  is  thrown 
upon  the  possible  friendship  of  strangers.  Then  what  a  deep 
gulf  of  prejudices  is  opened  up,  and  one  that  may  be  un- 
bridgeable! How  much  to  hold  a  doubter  l>ack.  and  what  to 
draw  him  on  to  take  the  crucial  step!  Tf,  after  the  step  is 
taken,  he  finds  out  his  mistake,  how  will  he  ever  have  the 
courage  to  acknowledge  it  and  retrace  his  steps?  Then,  too, 

121) 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

what  an  audacious  thing  it  is  for  him  to  sit  in  judgment  on 
what,  until  then,  he  has  held  to  be  the  church  of  his  fathers. 
Is  he  wiser  than  they  ?  What  a  reflection  upon  their  judg- 
ment! What  was  good  enough  for  them  should  be  good 
enough  for  him.  Then  every  scandal  that  can  be  raked  up 
is  brought  forward  as  damning  proof  against  the  Catholic 
Church.  As  if,  forsooth,  the  violators  of  the  Church's  laws 
could  be  adduced  as  witnesses  against  the  laws.  Just  as  if 
the  black  sheep  of  the  flock  was  the  one  by  which  the  whole 
flock  should  be  judged." 

One  thing  was  certain ;  it  was  impossible  for  Van  Rens- 
selaer  to  continue  to  act  as  minister  of  a  Church  whose 
claims  to  be  the  Church  of  Christ  were  more  than  doubtful. 
He  therefore  resolved  to  lay  aside  his  charge.  His  rector, 
unable  to  convince  him,  begged  him  not  to  go  to  Rome  from 
his  church.  As  he  had  not  been,  with  the  rector  long  enough 
to  make  any  impression  upon  the  congregation,  Van  Rens- 
selaer  agreed  to  the  request. 

He  next  informed  his  mother  of  the  probable  necessity  of 
his  becoming  a  Catholic.  She  had  long  been  in  the  habit  of 
saying :  "You  had  better  go  where  you  belong" ;  but  of 
course  when  the  time  came  to  follow  her  advice,  she  felt  it 
keenly.  She  suggested  his  going  back  to  Oxford  to  see  his 
former  friends,  the  canons  and  professors.  He  was  nothing 
loath,  especially  if  it  would  give  her  satisfaction,  and  he 
explained  to  her  he  had  no  desire  at  all  to  go  over  to  Rome ; 
quite  the  contrary,  he  had  no  friends  in  that  Church,  and 
nothing  in  it  appealed  to  him  except  the  truth  which  it 
seemed  to  possess  in  its  entirety.  So  to  Oxford  he  went. 
He  always  regretted  that  he  did  not  visit  Birmingham  to 
make  a  pilgrimage  to  the  Oratory  at  Edgbaston,  where 
Newman  was  living;  undoubtedly  the  life  and  writings  of 

130 


HIS  CONVERSION. 

the  cardinal  had  much  effect  in  leading  him  to  the  light. 
The  "Apologia"  and  "Anglican  Difficulties"  cleared  the 
way,  which  Pusey's  "Eirenicon"  failed  to  obstruct  again. 

Henry's  first  visit  in  Oxford  was  to  Canon  King.  The 
canon  received  him  as  of  yore,  most  cordially,  until  he 
learned  his  errand,  then  he  grew  sad.  Arguments  he  had 
none,  except  the  special  pleading:  "Be  loyal  to  your 
Mother."  "That,"  writes  Van  Rensselaer,  "I  always  was; 
but  that  was  begging  the  question.  My  inquiry  was  about  the 
identity  of  my  Mother,  the  Church.  I  had  grave  doubts 
about  the  maternal  claims  of  the  Church  of  England  and  her 
offspring,  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United 
States.  As  the  good  canon  said,  my  difficulties 'were  his- 
torical, and  he  did  not  attempt  to  answer  them,  but  referred 
me  to  Canon  Bright,  my  former  professor  of  ecclesiastical 
history.  I  never  called  again*  on  my  dear  old  friend.  Canon 
King,  as  I  saw  that  my  defection  grieved  him.  Since  then 
he  has  become  Anglican  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  and  has  had  his 
own  troubles  with  the  Court  of  Arches  for  ritualistic  prac- 
tices. Would  that  the  great  St.  Hugh  of  Lincoln  might  ob- 
tain for  the  nineteenth-century  Protestant  intruder  into  his 
ancient  see  the  gift  of  faith  !  Imagine  St.  Hugh  being  tried 
by  a  secular  court  for  wearing  a  cope  and  mitre!" 

He  next  turned  his  steps  to  Canon  Bright.  The  canon 
was  one  of  the  lecturers  whose  courses  he  attended  during 
his  earlier  stay  at  the  great  English  university.  Van  Rens- 
selaer describes  him  as  a  very  nervous  and  eccentric  man. 
learned  but  not  entertaining.  "I  never  fancied  him  and 
never  counted  him  among  my  friends" ;  but  in  the  search 
for  truth,  personal  dislikes  were  repressed.  And  here  fol- 
lows an  account  of  the  visit  to  Canon  Bright  :— 

"Now  it  happened  that  just  at  that  time  a  controversy 

131 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

was  being  waged  over  a  book  called  'The  Priest  and  Abso- 
lution.' It  was  in  reality  an  English  translation  of  a  Latin 
manual  of  moral  theology,  and  intended  by  the  translators 
for  the  use  of  'Anglo-Catholic'  priests  (  ?).  A  low-church 
peer,  Earl  Redesdale,  had  produced  this  book  in  the  House 
of  Lords  and  treated  his  confreres  to  choice  selections  from 
the  chapters  concerning  the  commandment  which  is  the 
Catholic  sixth,  but  the  Protestant  seventh.  'Such  are  the 
matters,'  quoth  the  Earl,  'which  the  parsons,  now  dubbed 
priests,  discuss  with  your  wives  and  daughters.'  Of  course 
the  insinuation  was  manifestly  unfair.  He  might  as  well 
have  brought  in  a  medical  book  and  have  read  passages, 
with  the  comment  that  such  were  the  matters  that  doctors 
discuss  with  their  parents.  Nevertheless  the  shot  hit  the 
mark,  and  when  the  question  of  confession  and  absolution 
was  put  to  the  vote  of  the  bishops  of  England  they  promptly 
disclaimed  the  doctrine  and  the  practice.  At  this  juncture 
I  called  on  Canon  Bright  and  asked  how  he  accounted  for 
the  action  of  the  bishops.  He  answered  that  if  he  wanted 
to  know  anything  about  the  sea,  he  would  not  apply  for 
information  to  a  landsman.  I  admitted  his  wisdom  in  this, 
but  failed  to  see  the  application.  He  then  explained  that 
the  bishops  knew  nothing-  about  confession.  'That's  strange,' 
I  said.  'If  the  so-called  priests  of  the  Church  of  England 
have  any  power  to  forgive  sins,  it  must  come  from  the 
bishops.  How,  then,  can  it  be  that  the  bishops  do  not  recog- 
nize any  such  power  resident  in  them?'  'Oh,'  said  the 
canon,  'the  Church  of  England  is  in  a  topsy-turvy  condi- 
tion.' 'Do  you  admit  that?'  I  asked.  'Of  course  I  do,'  he 
replied.  'Then  she  cannot  be  the  Church  of  God,'  I  an- 
swered. 'For  though  the  Church  may  contain  disorderly 
persons  in  her  borders,  she  cannot  herself  be  in  a  state  of 

132 


HIS   CONVERSION. 

disorder,  especially  in  essential  teachings,  such  as  the  for- 
giveness of  sins.'  So,  far  from  holding  me  back,  the  canon 
only  helped  to  drive  me  out  of  the  fold,  which  was  becom- 
ing more  and  more  evidently  that  of  the  hireling  and  not  of 
the  Good  Shepherd." 

The  visit  to  Oxford,  then,  had  not  strengthened  the  An- 
glican position.  Still  Van  Rensselaer  was  loath  to  leave  the 
Anglican  Church  without  making  one  more  effort  to  clear 
up  his  difficulties,  so  he  next  turned  to  his  old  friend,  Canon 
Liddon,  then  in  residence  in  Amen  Corner,  London,  where 
the  Canons  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  lived. 

"The  canon,"  he  tells  us,  "was  very  friendly  and  listened 
patiently.  It  was  not  a  new  story  for  him.  As  he  admitted, 
he  had  often  travelled  the  same  road  himself.  But,  as  he 
asserted,  he  always  managed  to  steady  his  wavering  steps 
by  reading  the  works  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Church.  What 
would  he  advise  rne  to  do?  Read  two  books,  one  on  either 
side,  treating  the  same  texts  of  Scripture  and  quotations 
from  the  Fathers,  and  then  decide  for  myself  which  was  the 
correct  interpreter.  Was  not  this  true  Protestant  theory 
and  practice  of  the  right  of  private  judgment?  If  he  were 
a  Catholic  priest,  would  he' give  such  advice?  Fancy  a 
young  man  going  to  a  priest  and  telling  him  that  he  was  in 
doubt  about  his  faith.  Would  the  priest  tell  him  to  read 
Ingersoll  and  Laml>ert  and  then  decide  for  himself?  Would 
he  not  be  bound  to  give  reasons  for  his  faith,  refute  the 
sophisms  and  bid  the  young  man  avoid  reading  poisonous 
literature,  and  strengthen  his  faith  by  sound  lxx>ks.  prayer 
and  reception  of  the  Sacraments  of  Penance  and  Holy  Eu- 
charist? Such  was  not  the  method  of  Canon  Liddon,  but 
he  threw  me  back  on  my  own  private  judgment.  What  two 
books  would  he  advise  me  to  read?  Hessey's  'Rise  of  the 

133 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN    RENSSELAER 

Papal  Power,'  on  the  Protestant,  and  Allies'  'See  of  Peter' 
on  the  Catholic  side.  I  had  already  read  them  both.  How- 
ever, perhaps  I  had  not  pondered  them  sufficiently,  for  I 
had  to  admit  that  Allies  seemed  to  be  the  genuine  expounder 
of  the  texts  of  Scripture  and  the  Fathers.  Canon  Liddon 
had,  I  afterward  learned,  and  as  he  himself  had  hinted, 
often  been  on  the  verge  of  submitting  to  the  authority  of 
Rome,  and  had  even  consulted  Catholic  priests  about  it. 
Did  the  possession  of  a  Canonry  of  St.  Paul's  and  a  pro- 
fessor's chair  in  Oxford  weigh  down  the  scale  on  the  Angli- 
can side?  I  did  not  call  again ;  what  was  the  use?  It  would 
be  a  case  of  the  blind  leading  the  blind." 

It  should  be  stated  here  that  Henry  had  already  looked  up 
and  settled  to  his  satisfaction  certain  matters  of  prime  im- 
portance. On  a  visit  to  the  Bodleian  Library,  before  meet- 
ing Dr.  King,  he  recalled  the  difficulty  of  Papal  Infallibility 
which  Dr.  Dollinger  adduced  as  a  reason  for  rejecting  the 
authority  of  the  Vatican  Council.  He  says  :  "I  turned  to  the 
chapter  on  'Papal  Supremacy'  in  the  'Church  History,'  pub- 
lished by  the  said  Dr.  Dollinger  in  1845,  that  is,  twenty-five 
years  before  the  definition  of  Papal  Infallibility  in  the 
Council  of  the  Vatican,  in  1870.  My  reading  of  this  chap- 
ter convinced  me  of  true  Papal  supremacy,  which  would,  of 
course,  include  infallibility.  Another  point  was  cleared  up 
regarding  the  early  Church,  by  reading  Hefele's  'History  of 
the  Councils,'  which,  to  be  sure,  contained  the  ecumenical 
letters.  I  was  startled  to  find  that  these  councils  of  the 
much-referred-to  undivided  Church  of  fhe  first  four  cen- 
turies, in  their  synodal  letters,  spoke  of  the  occupant  of  the 
See  of  Rome,  precisely  as  the  Church  of  after-centuries,  up 
to  the  present  day  addresses  the  Pope,  successor  of  St.  Peter, 
Prince  of  the  Apostles,  Vicar  of  Christ  on  Earth.  At  the 

134 


HIS  CONVERSION. 

Protestant  seminary  in  New  York,  we  had  used  as  a  text- 
book an  Index  Canonuni  of  these  very  councils,  but  the  com- 
piler had  very  wisely,  from  his  point  of  view,  omitted  the 
ecumenical  letters.  The  discovery  of  their  existence  was  a 
revelation  and  a  shock.  The  stronghold  of  Protestantism 
had  crumbled  at  its  foundation." 

Van  Rensselaer  still  had  many  difficulties  in  regard  to  the 
Catholic  Church.  Many  of  her  doctrines  were  not  clear  to 
his  mind,  and  manv  of  her  devotions  did  not  appeal  to  his 
taste.  But,  if  Christ  had  built  his  Church  on  Peter,  the 
rock  against  which  the  gates  of  hell  should  not  prevail,  had 
given  him  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  had  prom- 
ised to  be  with  him  always  to  the  end  of  the  world,  and  had 
bestowed  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  to  guide  His 
Church  into  all  truth,  then  he  felt  convinced  that  whatever 
this  Church  taught  must  be  true  and  should  be  accepted  by 
all.  The  identity  of  the  true  Church  was  no  longer  doubt- 
ful. Submission  to  authority  was  the  only  course  open  to 
him.  It  was  an  intellectual  conviction,  without  any  sensi- 
ble attraction. 

The  following  letter  to  one  of  the  family,  written  two 
weeks  l>efore  his  formal  reception  into  the  Church,  sums  up 
tersely  the  visit  to  Oxford  and  its  result : 

"PARIS, 

"Septemlxrr  4.  1877. 

"I  have  not  written  for  some  time  because  I  have  been, 
and  am.  too  unhappy  to  want  to  put  my  feelings  on  paper. 
Dr.  King  was  entirely  unable  to  help  me.  and  not  being  well 
up  on  the  Roman  side,  he  could  not  command  that  respect 
for  his  opinion  which  he  otherwise  would  have.  His  argu- 
ment is  exactly  Keble's :  Born  in  the  Anglican  Communion, 

135 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

stay  there.   Why  not  equally  well  say:   Born  in  the  Church 
of  Scotland,  stay  there? 

"While  I  was  in  Oxford  before  Dr.  King  came,  I  ob- 
tained access  to  a  library  there,  and  read  Dollinger's  His- 
tory, which  convinced  me  that  his  present  position  as  a 
schismatic  is  untenable  from  his  own  book,  which,  unlike 
those  written  by  Anglicans  who  'verted,  has  never  been  re- 
tracted, but  still  holds  its  position  as  true  history.  I  also 
read  Cardinal  Manning's  'True  History  of  the  Vatican 
Council,'  which  gives  one  a  very  different  idea  from  the  one 
usually  entertained  in  regard  to  Infallibility.  It  was  quite 
strange  that  the  day  I  went  by  appointment  to  see  Dr.  King 
I  was  kept  waiting  in  the  dining-room  and  picked  up  Ma- 
caulay's  History  and  read  the  preface.  His  account  of  the 
formation  of  the  Church  of  England  by  Elizabeth  was 
startling  and  an  ill  preparation  for  my  first  talk  with  the 
Doctor  upon  the  position  and  claim  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land. 

"Dr.  Bright,  to  whom  I  spoke  for  only  a  moment,  said 
he  thought  the  present  state  of  the  Church  to  be  anomalous. 
Is  it  possible  that  Almighty  God  has  revealed  doctrines 
such  as  the  Real  Presence  and  Confession,  and  yet  it  can 
be  a  matter  of  no  importance  whether  a  professing  church- 
man believe  them  or  not?  St.  Paul  speaks  very  plainly  of 
the  necessity  of  the  trumpet  giving  a  distinct  sound. 

"But  you  must  read  and  decide  for  yourself,  which  is 
exactly  the  advice  given  me  by  Dr.  Liddon.  I  had  several 
interviews  with  him,  and  he  was  very  good  and  kind 
and,  of  course,  what  such  a  man  says  cannot  but  command 
respect.  I  had  already  read  the  books  he  recommended,- 
but  began  to  study  Hefele's  'History  of  the  Councils/  find- 
ing him  very  strong  on  the  Roman  side.  Both  Dr.  Liddon 

136 


HIS  CONVERSION. 

and  Dr.  Bright  say  that  he  is  very  reliable.  The  attitude 
of  the  Council  of  Chalcedon  towards  the  Pope,  Leo,  is  ex- 
actly what  one  would  expect  from  the  standpoint  of  Rome, 
and  entirely  goes  against  the  Anglican  position. 

"Well,  Dr.  Liddon  could  not  satisfy  me  at  all,  and,  as 
you  already  know  by  my  letter  to  mother.  I  have  decided 
to  become  a  Catholic  in  deed  and  not  only  in  intention, 
and  so  has  Mackall,  and  so  has  E.  It  is  useless  to  wait 
unless  I  am  to  become  cold  and  indifferent,  for  my  mind 
is  thoroughly  made  up  on  good,  strong,  sensible,  intellectual 
grounds. 

"Your  devoted  brother, 

"HENRY." 


The  collapse  of  the  appeal  to  Canon  Liddon,  and  subse- 
quent readings  on  the  subject,  seem  to  have  settled  definitely 
for  Van  Rensselaer  the  question  he  had  so  long  and  so  per- 
severingly  sought  to  solve.  There  could  no  longer  be  any 
doubt  as  to  which  was  the  true  Church  of  Christ.  It  was 
now  high  time  to  turn  to  the  Church  of  Rome.  Up  to  this 
point  his  progress  had  been  slow  enough,  nor  had  he  tried 
to  free  himself  from  Anglican  influences.  While  he  was 
studying  the  question  he  had  conscientiously  abstained  from 
going  inside  a  Catholic  Church  or  speaking  to  a  Catholic 
priest.  He  had  frequented  the  ultra-ritualistic  churches  and 
in  them  he  had  seen  the  ceremonies  of  the  Catholic  Church 
carried  out  exactly.  Externally  the  imitation  was  perfect. 
The  altar  with  its  appointments,  the  ministers  in  colored 
silken  vestments,  the  music  and  incense,  all  was  there  as  in 
the  true  Church,  but  it  was  "Hamlet"  with  the  Prince  left 
out.  The  Real  Presence  of  Christ  was  not  there.  The  es- 

137 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

sential  lack  became  so  oppressive  to  him  that  he  resolved 
never  again  to  be  present  at  such  hollow  mockeries,  as  they 
now  seemed  to  be.  He  declares : — 

"Protestant  England  had  become  so  distasteful  to  me  that 
I  longed  to  be  in  a  Catholic  country.  Before  leaving  Lon- 
don, we  called,  my  friend  and  I,  at  the  Brompton  Oratory 
and  were  warmly  received.  The  priest  whom  we  saw  was 
anxious  to  have  us  make  our  abjuration  of  errors  and  pro- 
fession of  faith  then  and  there.  He  said  that  he  would  not 
dare  to  cross  the  channel  in  our  frame  of  mind.  We  an- 
swered that  having  dared  the  dangers  of  the  Atlantic  we 
thought  we  could  risk  the  English  Channel,  as  our  intention 
then  was  to  make  our  submission  in  Rome  itself." 

In  the  meantime,  his  sister,  who  had  preceded  him  in 
England,  was  also  fully  convinced  of  the  untenableness  of 
the  Anglican  position.  She  had  come  by  strict  orders  of 
her  director,  who  had  also  been  his,  to  join  the  All  Saints' 
Sisterhood  in  Margaret  street,  London.  There  she  was 
nurtured  on  purely  Catholic  literature — lives  of  the  saints 
and  spiritual  books  of  Roman,  not  Anglican,  authors.  They 
kept  the  feast  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  among  others  purely 
Roman.  The  Reverend  Mother  was  in  the  habit  of  going 
to  Paris  to  keep  the  feasts  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
and  the  Assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  When  his  sister 
stated  her  difficulties  to  her  London  confessor,  he  parried 
them  by  saying  that  it  was  well  to  have  two  strings  to  one's 
bow,  and  that  if  the  Anglican  were  wrong  the  Greek  might 
be  right.  When  she  remarked  that  her  brother,  who  was  a 
minister,  and  his  friend,  also  a  minister,  were  troubled  in 
the  same  way  as  herself,  he  only  sneered  at  their  youth.  She 
soon  decided  that  she  could  not  persevere  in  Anglicanism, 
though  she  was  unable  to  leave  the  Sisters  just  then,  as 

138 


HIS  CONVERSION. 

there  was  no  one  to  fill  her  position.  So  she  remained  a 
couple  of  weeks  after  her  brother  had  left  for  Paris,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  her  time  of  warning-  to  the  Sisters,  joined 
him  and  his  friend  there. 

In  view  of  his  subsequent  career  it  is  strange  that  his  first 
meeting  with  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  was  not 
auspicious.  The  circumstances  were  as  follows : — 

"We  had  determined  to  be  received  into  the  Church  in 
Rome  itself.  Thinking  that  we  should  enjoy  our  stay  in 
Paris  and  our  journey  through  France  and  Italy  more  as 
Catholics,  we  resolved  to  take  the  important  step  in  Paris. 
My  sister  and  my  friend  were  admirers  of  the  Jesuits,  which 
admiration  I  did  not  share.  They  accordingly  paid  a  visit 
to  the  Jesuit  house  in  the  Rue  de  Sevres  and  made  arrange- 
ments for  our  reception.  I  noticed  that  they  were  not  nearly 
so  enthusiastic  after  their  visit,  and  they  discreetly  said  little 
about  it.  My  friend  had  arranged  that  he  and  I  should 
make  a  preparatory  retreat  of  three  days  under  a  Jesuit 
Father's  direction.  The  first  day  came  for  our  instruction. 
I  had  forebodings.  Our  instructor  had  neuralgia  and  a 
much  swollen  face.  He  was  not  a  representative  of  the  wily 
Jesuit  at  all.  He  began  by  informing  us  we  knew  nothing. 
As  he  had  not  examined  us,  I  felt  he  was  not  qualified  to 
give  the  verdict.  He  insisted  on  instructing  us.  According 
to  him  we  did  not  understand  Infallibility.  I  insisted  that 
we  did.  We  had  studied  the  authorized  exponent's  book, 
ind  Dr.  Fessler  was  the  best  authority  on  the  matter.  The 
Rev.  Jesuit  pooh-poohed  him  and  said  he  would  enlighten 
us.  I  replied  that  he  was  losing  time.  He  was  sure  we  had 
difficulties.  We  were  sure  we  had  none.  The  visit  was  un- 
satisfactory, and  when  we  got  out  of  the  house  I  declared 
that  the  others  might  do  as  they  pleased,  but  that  I  would 

139 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

not  repeat  the  visit,  and  the  retreat  could  be  called  off.  I 
wished  to  have  my  coming  into  the  Church  a  pleasant  mem- 
ory, which  under  such  auspices  was  impossible.  My  com- 
panions seemed  nothing  loath  to  follow  my  example,  al- 
though we  had  committed  ourselves  with  the  Jesuit.  I  said 
it  was  a  simple  thing  to  write  to  him  that  we  had  changed 
our  plan;  foolishly,  perhaps,  I  added  that  we  preferred  to 
go  to  one  who  was  accustomed  to  deal  with  Anglican  con- 
verts and  could  understand  them.  That  same  day  his  an- 
swer came  in  shape  of  a  pamphlet  written  by  him  on  Angli- 
canism." 

The  retreat  was  thus  abruptly  brought  to  an  end.  It  was 
an  awkward  way  out  of  an  awkward  situation,  which  might 
have  been  easily  relieved  by  some  display  of  tact  on  either 
side.  The  next  step  was  to  find  some  one  to  take  the  would- 
be  converts  in  hand.  They  had  brought  letters  to  a  dear  old 
English  priest,  Mgr.  Rogerson,  who  had  a  confessional  for 
English-speaking  people  in  the  Church  of  St  Roch,  so  they 
presented  their  letters  to  him  and  were  welcomed  in  a  truly 
fatherly  way.  They  felt  at  home  with  him  at  once.  He 
told  them  that  their  experience  had  been  that  of  many 
others,  who,  like  themselves,  had  ended  by  coming  to  him. 
He  examined  them  a  little,  saw  that  they  knew  what  they 
were  doing,  and  then,  on  the  17th  of  September,  1877,  re- 
ceived their  abjuration  and  profession  of  faith,  and  baptized 
them  conditionally  in  the  Church  of  St.  Roch. 

The  narrative  of  those  early  days  spent  as  a  Catholic  be- 
comes of  increasing  interest  as  it  tells  of  the  efforts  made  to 
overcome  life-long  prejudices  in  accepting  without  ques- 
tioning the  devout  practices  so  common  in  Catholic  coun- 
tries, but  which  usually  repel  the  new  convert.  With  his 
usual  candor  he  informs  us : — 

140 


HIS  CONVERSION. 

"As  Protestants  we  had  many  prejudices  against  certain 
practices  in  the  Catholic  Church.  Among  other  things,  we 
disliked  very  much  to  see  old  women  selling  candles  in  the 
churches  to  be  burned  before  the  statues.  Having  become 
Catholics,  we  determined  not  to  do  things  by  halves.  If 
the  Church  approves  of  these  practices,  they  must  be  right, 
whether  they  appealed  to  us  or  not.  So.  when  we  were  pass- 
ing out  of  the  Chapel  of  the  Calvary,  where  we  had  been 
received,  we  stopped  at  the  grotto  representing  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  with  the  dead  Christ  and  lighted  candles,  which 
we  purchased  from  our  quondam  aversion — the  old  dame 
who  sold  candles." 

On  the  feast  of  St.  Matthew  they  made  their  First  Com- 
munion in  the  Chapel  of  the  Convent  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
in  the  Rue  de  Varennes.  The  Mass  was  said  by  their  good 
old  friend  in  need,  Mgr.  Rogerson,  who  did  much  during 
their  stay  in  Paris  to  make  them  feel  at  home  in  their  new 
religious  surroundings. 


Ill 


D 
O 


CHAPTER    IX. 
A  CATHOLIC. 

the  help  of  my  God  have  I  leaped  over  the  wall.' 
And  what  a  wall  it  was  !  A  wall  that  has  proved 
an  impassable  barrier  to  millions  !  This  was  the  wall  laid 
by  the  leaders  of  the  great  revolt  against  the  Church  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  and  raised  higher  and  higher  in  succeed- 
ing centuries  by  the  accumulation  of  false  accusations  and 
prejudices.  By  the  powerful  help  of  God  alone  can  one  have 
strength  to  leap  over  this  wall.  And  the  leap  supposes  a 
combined  action  of  man's  mind  and  will  with  the  grace  of 
God.  A  leap  it  is,  and,  owing  to  the  nature  of  faith,  it 
seems  to  be  a  leap  in  the  dark.  For  there  is  always  a  latent 
apprehension  that  perhaps  the  action  may  be  a  mistake." 

Such  are  the  words  with  which  Van  Rensselaer  gratefully 
acknowledges  that  only  through  God's  grace  could  he  have 
threaded  the  labyrinth  of  error  and  have  found  his  way  to 
the  Church,  the  pillar  and  ground  of  truth. 

Naturally  enough,  he  thought  he  would  visit  Rome  and 
tender  his  submission  to  the  Vicar  of  Christ.  How  different 
his  sentiments  now  from  those  which  animated  him  on  a 
previous  visit!  Still  it  was  with  no  little  difficulty  he  ad- 
justed himself  to  some  of  the  popular  observances  of  his 
new  faith.  His  narrative  continues:  "Being  now  quite 
Catholicized,  we  set  our  faces  Romeward  to  visit  the  centre 
of  unity  and  the  Vicar  of  Christ  on  earth.  The  saintly  Pius 
IX  sat  in  the  chair  of  Peter.  His  long  reign  was  nearing 
its  close,  and  he  was  then  rather  feeble.  At  our  audience 

142 


A   CATHOLIC. 

he  had  to  be  borne  into  the  hall  on  a  portable  chair.  He 
was  surrounded  by  a  brilliant  retinue  of  cardinals,  mon- 
signori,  and  other  attendants  in  bright  uniforms.  He  was 
very  benevolent  and  gracious.  He  gave  us  a  special  bless- 
ing on  hearing  that  we  were  converts  and  bade  us  to  go 
back  to  America  to  spread  the  Faith.  We  have  tried  to 
carry  out  his  injunction. 

"I  recall  an  incident  in  the  Vatican.  The  first  time  we 
visited  the  great  basilica  we  knew  the  correct  thing  to  do 
was  to  kiss  the  foot  of  the  bronze  statue  of  St.  Peter,  which 
unbelieving  Protestants  claim  to  be  a  converted  image  of 
Jupiter  Tonans.  Our  Protestant  prejudices  revived  for  a 
moment,  and  we  passed  it  by  unkissed.  After  going  around 
for  some  time.  I  made  a  dart  at  the  statue,  conquered  my 
antipathy,  and  kissed  the  foot.  Thenceforth  we  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  kissing,  after  the  manner  of  the  Italians,  pictures, 
statues,  and  all  other  objects  of  devotion. 

"My  friend  and  I  thought  of  remaining  in  Rome  to  make 
our  studies  for  the  priesthood,  as  we  had  no  doubt  of  our 
vocation  to  the  altar.  But  we  could  not  well  leave  my  sister 
alone  so  far  from  home,  so  we  decided  to  return  to  Paris 
after  we  had  seen  the  sights  of  Rome.  We  journeyed 
thither  by  easy  stages.  My  sister  went  en  pcnsicm  to  the 
Convent  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  while  we  took  up  our  resi- 
dence at  the  French  Oratory  in  the  Rue  de  Regard." 

Hearing  that  Cardinal  Manning  was  passing  through 
Paris,  the  travellers  called  on  him.  in  hoi>cs  that  he  would 
administer  to  them  the  Sacrament  of  Confirmation.  But 
this  necessitated  permission  from  Cardinal  fiuibert,  then 
Archbishop  of  Paris,  and  other  formalities,  so  they  had  to 
forego  the  privilege.  Shortly  after,  they  were  confirmed  by 
the  Coadjutor  Archbishop.  Mgr.  Richard. 

143 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

"Cardinal  Manning,"  he  writes,  "was  very  cordial  and 
gave  us  each  a  copy  of  one  of  his  celebrated  books  on  the 
Mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  made  a  deep  impression  on 
us  by  his  austere  appearance.  The  newspapers  were  then 
making  much  of  his  championing  the  total  abstinence  move- 
ment in  England,  not  only  by  word,  but  by  example.  This 
latter  meant  much,  for  the  aged  cardinal  had,  like  most 
Englishmen,  been  accustomed  all  his  life  to  take  his  wine. 
His  doctor  forbade  him  to  abstain,  and  told  him  it  would 
shorten  his  life,  but  his  indomitable  will  triumphed." 

Van  Rensselaer  was  not  satisfied  with  the  reception  of  the 
Sacraments  of  Baptism  and  Confirmation.  He  had  already 
cast  his  lot  in  the  service  of  the  Church  and  he  was  anxious 
to  take  the  first  steps  towards  entering  the  clerical  life.  An- 
other cardinal  came  to  Paris  on  his  way  to  Rome.  It  was 
our  own  first  American  Cardinal,  the  venerable  Archbishop 
McCloskey.  Van  Rensselaer  took  advantage  of  his  pres- 
ence there  to  receive  the  tonsure  and  then,  with  a  view  to 
preparing  for  the  priesthood,  took  up  his  theological  studies 
in  Paris,  with  the  Fathers  of  Oratory.  Of  this  period  of 
his  life  he  tells  us: — 

"My  friend  and  I  undertook  to  study  theology  under  one 
of  the  Oratorian  Fathers,  but  our  work  was,  to  say  the  least, 
desultory.  We  were  determined  to  acquire  the  Catholic 
spirit,  and  to  this  end  we  attended  all  the  religious  func- 
tions we  could,  and  they  were  many.  The  services  at  Notre 
Dame  had  especial  attractions  for  us,  and  there  we  saw  for 
the  first  time  the  impressive  ceremonies  of  Holy  Week. 
What  struck  us  as  strange  was  the  easy-going  behavior  of 
the  people  in  the  churches.  They  seemed  perfectly  at  home 
in  what  they  rightly  considered  their  Father's  house.  This 
was  quite  noticeable  at  Vespers  in  Notre  Dame.  While  the 


A   CATHOLIC. 

canons  and  choristers  chanted  the  Psalms  in  the  choir,  the 
faithful  of  both  sexes  would  saunter  leisurely  in  the  aisles 
outside  the  choir,  joining  in  the  Psalms,  which  they  knew 
by  heart.  French  boys  have  singularly  beautiful  voices, 
and,  as  at  Notre  Dame  they  have  a  'maitrise,'  or  choir 
school,  in  which  the  boys  live  and  receive  their  education, 
intellectual  and  musical,  they  are  properly  nurtured  and 
guarded  from  injuring  their  voices  by  shouting  in  the 
streets.  One  of  the  great  privileges  of  the  year  was  our 
attendance  at  the  Lenten  Conferences  of  the  Dominican, 
Monsabre.  It  was  a  grand  sight  to  see  the  immense  nave 
of  Notre  Dame  filled  with  men,  old  and  young,  who  listened 
in  rapt  attention  to  the  eloquent  words  of  the  preacher.  The 
closing  retreat  in  Holy  Week,  with  the  general  Communion 
for  men.  was  very  edifying  and  inspiring." 

A  more  minute  account  of  his  stay  with  the  French 
Oratorians  is  given  in  the  following  letter:— 

"L'ORATOiRE,  PARIS, 

"December,  1877. 

"Who  would  have  believed  a  year  ago  that  I  should  be 
here  and  my  fidus  Achates  with  me,  and  yet  it  seems  so 
natural  to  be  a  Catholic  that  I  don't  feel  at  all  like  a  stranger 
but  quite  au  fait  and  to  the  manner  l>orn.  I  am  perfectly 
happy,  except  in  being  so  far  away  from  home;  still  there 
is  a  great  advantage  in  being  out  of  the  reach  of  contro- 
versy and  free  to  become  accustomed  to  one's  position  in 
peace  and  quiet,  and  in  a  country  which  is  Catholic  in  so  far 
as  it  is  religious  at  all.  for  Protestantism  has  no  hold  here. 

"We  do  not  go  out  for  lectures.  I  believe  one  learns 
more  by  studying  than  by  hearing  courses.  One  of  the 
Fathers,  a  Doctor  in  Theology,  superintends  our  studies  and 

148 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

explains  any  difficulties  we  may  meet  with.  We  are  treated 
with  the  greatest  kindness  by  everyone.  You  should  see 
us  in  the  street  in  our  clerical  costume- — great,  low,  broad- 
brimmed  hats,  caught  up  on  each  side;  long  coats,  dou- 
illetes,  black  stockings  and  knee  breeches,  and  me,  minus 
my  beard,  which  I  regret  only  on  account  of  the  trouble  of 
shaving. 

"We  went  to  a  grand  service  at  Notre  Dame  last  Tuesday 
night.  It  was  the  close  of  the  Forty  Hours'  Adoration  of 
the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The  adoration  goes  on  uninterrupt- 
edly in  the  churches  of  Paris  and  the  vicinity,  opening  in 
one  as  it  is  closed  in  another.  The  year  is  always  begun  at 
the  Cathedral.  On  Tuesday  evening  there  was  a  magnifi- 
cent procession.  The  Host  was  carried  by  the  Coadjutor, 
Archbishop  Richard,  followed  by  the  Cardinal  Archbishop, 
the  canons,  numbers  of  clergy  and  acolytes,  many  choristers 
in  red,  and  at  least  three  thousand  men,  everyone  in  the 
procession  carrying  a  lighted  candle.  Imagine  the  effect  in 
Notre  Dame  at  night,  the  high  altar  blazing  with  lights  and 
the  huge  procession  with  its  flickering  tapers.  Only  men 
took  part,  with  the  exception  of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul 
Sisters  who  work  in  the  parish,  and  who  were  permitted  to 
join.  To  see  all  those  men  kneel  down  as  their  Lord  passed 
by  was  a  sight  I  shall  never  forget. 

"We  are  still  devoted  to  St.  Roch's,  Where  we  feel  very 
much  at  home,  and  where  the  singing  is  delightful.  We 
generally  go  to  the  Jesuit  Chapel  in  the  Rue  de  Sevres  for 
Benediction  on  Sunday  afternoon. 

"I  always  think  of  Baby  May  when  they  have  the  'pain 
benit'  at  Mass.  It  is  a  relic  of  a  most  ancient  custom,  the 
love- feast.  In  the  churches  of  France,  just  before  the  con- 
secration, a  little  procession  goes  up  to  the  altar — a  beadle, 

146 


A   CATHOLIC. 

followed  by  a  dear  little  girl  like  May,  dressed  in  white  and 
blue,  with  a  lighted  candle,  then  two  boys  in  red,  carrying 
on  their  shoulders  a  tray  with  a  large  round  loaf  of  sweet- 
ened bread  surrounded  by  candles.  The  bread  is  given  by 
some  parishioner  and  they  generally  send  a  little  girl  of 
the  family  to  make  the  offering.  After  the  bread  has  been 
blessed,  the  procession  goes  out  in  the  same  order,  and  later 
on  in  the  service  the  boys  hand  round  the  bread  in  baskets. 
The  custom  is  retained  in  France  only,  but  is,  I  think,  very 
beautiful." 

His  stay  at  the  Oratory  with  the  new  manner  of  life  it 
involved,  seems  not  to  have  repressed  his  youthful  gaiety 
or  to  have  in  any  way  affected  his  sense  of  humor.  Thus 
he  writes  to  one  of  his  sisters : 

"L'ORATOIRE,  PARIS. 

"March  15,  1878. 
"Mv  DEAR  BESSIE: 

"You  see  I  have  yielded  to  your  polite  request  and  been 
photographed.  Phema  and  I  prefer  the  sitting  j>ose.  but  the 
other  is  the  favorite.  How  do  you  like  the  costume  of  an 
abbe?  I  am  sorry  I  could  not  show  my  black  stockings  and 
shoe  buckles,  but  when  the  'lady'  in  attendance  at  Le  Jeune's 
asked  me  what  style  I  wished,  and  showed  me  samples,  I 
suggested  tentatively  that  perhaps  full  length  would  l>e  4un 
pen  trop  long.'  She  seemed  entirely  of  my  'avis,'  as  there 
may  be  too  much  of  a  good  person  as  well  as  too  much  of  a 
good  thing.  I  modestly  tried  to  hide  my  hands,  but  the 
'poser*  insisted  upon  their  being  visible,  as  he  assured  me 
they  wouldn't  look  very  badly;  at  any  rate  it  would  never 
do  to  be  taken  unarmed — but  (tiough  of  myself. 

147 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

"I  have  been,  and  am,  reading  Montalembert's  St.  Eliza- 
beth. It  is  absurd  and  needless  to  comment  upon  it,  as  its 
reputation  is  world-wide.  You  must  certainly  read  it  and 
retract  the  accusation  against  her,  who  is  known  and  ever 
was  known  in  Catholic  Germany  as  'die  liebe  heilige  Elisa- 
beth.' She  is  a  most  exquisite  character,  as  you  will  readily 
acknowledge  when  you  read  her  life.  That  little  affair  of 
the  roses  comes  out  most  beautifully.  Her  husband  was  a 
most  saintly  young  man;  he  died  at  twenty-seven.  They 
were  the  most  devoted  couple  imaginable.  I  advise  you  to 
find  that  little  picture  of  la  chere  sainte,  which  I  brought 
you  two  years  ago,  and  you  rejected.  The  preface  gives  a 
most  interesting  survey  of  the  13th  Century,  supposed  by 
some  people  to  be  the  Dark  Ages.  You  will  get  quite  an- 
other idea,  I  imagine.  We  went  to  Notre  Dame  on  Sunday 
for  the  Conference.  Monsabre  is  splendid;  the  nave  was 
full  of  men,  two  or  three  thousand.  We  sat  with  the  arch- 
bishop and  clergy  and  had  excellent  seats  opposite  the  pul- 
pit. The  white  frock  and  black  coat  of  the  frere  precheur 
add  greatly  to  the  effect  of  the  orator.  He  is  very  eloquent. 
The  subject  was  the  God-Man  as  proved  by  facts ;  the  whole 
series  is  upon  the  Incarnation.  It  lasted  an  hour,  but  did 
not  seem  too  long.  His  gestures  are  magnificent.  He  is 
middle-aged,  rather  fat,  not  handsome,  perhaps  a  little  too 
witty,  as  he  made  an  occasional  hit.  The  Dominicans  are 
very  strong  in  Paris  and  have  a  great  many  pulpits  at  their 
disposal.  I  know  Pere  Chocarne  and  admire  him  very 
much.  He  is  not,  they  say,  fort,  as  a  preacher,  but  a  very 
spiritual  man,  with  a  beautiful  expresion.  But  I  have  to  go 
out,  so  must  close. 

"Your  affectionate  brother, 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER." 
148 


A   CATHOLIC. 

An  interesting  disclosure  of  Van  Rensselaer's  letters 
from  Oxford  is  that  of  a  longing  on  his  part  to  lead  the 
life  of  a  religious.  So  great  had  been  this  desire  tliat,  had 
his  belief  in  the  Branch  theory  remained  unshaken,  he 
would  in  all  likelihood  have  established  in  New  York  some 
religious  brotherhood  whose  chief  duty  would  be  to  labor 
among  the  poor  in  the  congested  districts  of  the  lower  East 
Side,  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  after  becoming  a 
Catholic  the  thought  of  a  religious  vocation  was  still  upper- 
most. Of  his  call  to  the  priesthood  he  had  never  a  doubt, 
but  the  further  question  of  joining  a  religious  community 
had  to  be  decided.  The  experience  with  the  Jesuit  in  Paris 
was  not  likely  to  lead  him  to  become  a  member  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus.  It  was  no  easy  matter  for  him  to  make 
up  his  mind  as  to  what  other  religious  order  he  would 
choose.  The  Oratorians  in  France,  as  well  as  in  England, 
the  Dominicans,  the  White  Fathers  of  the  African  Mission, 
were  all  in  their  turn  considered.  These  experiences  should 
be  told  in  his  own  words. 

"My  friend  and  I  received  some  very  wholesome  but  un- 
palatable advice  from  an  American  bishop  whom  we  visited 
during  his  stay  in  Paris.  His  keen  and  experienced  eye 
detected  the  weak  points  in  our  religious  composition.  He 
told  us,  that  in  his  judgment  we  needed  to  go  through  the 
mill,  be  ground  fine,  and  made  over.  As  his  advice  was 
unsought  by  us,  it  was  decidedly  unacceptable;  we  had  quite 
a  different  opinion  of  ourselves  at  the  time.  After  years 
made  us  see  that  his  verdict  was  correct.  In  many  respects 
the  old  leaven  of  Protestantism  was  still  working  in  us, 
and  time  was  required  for  the  effect  of  the  new  leaven  on 
the  mass.  I  had  long  felt  drawn  to  the  religious  life,  even 
as  a  Protestant,  but  in  what  order  was  I  to  cast  my  lot? 

149 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

Of  one  thing  I  declared  myself  certain:  a  Jesuit  I  would 
never  be.  Anything  else  was  possible,  but  to  be  a  Jesuit — 
never.  There  I  drew  the  line  of  demarcation.  After  hear- 
ing the  celebrated  Dominicans,  Monsabre  and  Chocarne,  I 
had  a  fancy  for  the  Friars  Preachers,  especially  after  read- 
ing the  fascinating  life  of  Lacordaire  by  Chocarne.  I  even 
went  so  far  as  to  call  on  Pere  Chocarne,  who  had  a  very 
attractive  personality,  and  I  arranged  for  a  retreat.  He 
candidly  advised  me  to  join  the  French  Dominicans,  as  he 
said  their  studies  were  superior  to  those  made  by  the  Amer- 
ican Friars.  My  sister  and  my  friend  would  not  hear  of 
my  joining  the  ranks  of  freres  precheurs,  and  talked  me  out 
of  the  idea  by  ridiculing  the  possibility  of  my  being  a 
preacher.  Next  the  missionary  spirit  took  hold  of  me.  I 
had  been  serving  the  Mass  of  one  of  the  White  Fathers,  as 
the  missionaries  of  the  congregation  founded  by  Cardinal 
Lavigerie  for  African  Missions  were  called,  and  had  be- 
come interested  in  the  work.  I  had  long  talks  with  the 
Father  in  charge  of  the  bureau  in  Paris ;  finally  I  confided 
to  him  my  desire  to  devote  my  life  to  missions  in  Africa. 
He  was  a  very  prudent  man  and  encouraged  me  in  my  in- 
tention to  become  a  missionary,  but  said,  were  he  in  my 
place,  that  he  would  return  to  America  and  labor  there, 
where,  as  an  American  and  a  member  of  a  well-known  fam- 
ily, I  should  have  more  influence  in  making  converts,  espe- 
cially as  I  was  a  convert  myself.  Besides  that,  he  advocated 
my  joining  the  Jesuits.  My  sister  and  friend  had  received 
my  announcement  of  my  intention  to  go  to  Africa  with  de- 
cided opposition,  so,  accepting  the  advice  of  the  White 
Father,  at  least  partially,  I  abandoned  the  idea  of  Africa  as 
the  land  of  my  future  work." 

With  the  advice  of  Monsignor  Rogerson,  Van  Rensselaer 

^ 


A   CATHOLIC. 

next  turned  his  thoughts  to  the  Fathers  of  the  Oratory, 
founded  by  St.  Philip  Neri  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and 
having  among  its  distinguished  members  in  England  such 
men  as  Dr.  Newman,  Father  Dalgairns  and  Father  Faber. 
But  his  stay  at  Brompton  was  a  brief  one.  He  writes : 

"Our  good  friend  Mgr.  Rogerson  had  always  intended 
my  friend  and  myself  for  Oratorians,  but  he  did  not  care 
for  the  French  Congregation,  preferring  the  English.  He 
accordingly  wrote  to  Father  Morris  then  Superior  of  the 
London  Oratory  at  Brompton,  and  got  an  invitation  for  us 
to  visit  there  with  a  view  to  settling  our  vocation.  To  Lon- 
don we  went.  Before  presenting  ourselves  at  the  house,  we 
inspected  the  church.  It  was  the  old  one  built  by  the  saintly 
Father  Faber,  which  has  since  been  replaced  by  the  superb 
Romanesque  edifice. 

"First  impresions,  in  my  case,  seem  to  be  prophetic  for 
me.  As  soon  as  we  entered  I  said  to  my  companion :  'This 
is  not  the  place  of  my  abode.'  We  were  most  cordially  re- 
ceived by  the  Fathers  and  allowed  to  take  part  in  their  com- 
munity exercises.  They  were  a  very  charming  body  of  men. 
several  being  converts.  Although  they  are  a  congregation 
not  bound  by  vows,  their  internal  discipline  is  rather  severe. 
For  instance,  they  seldom,  if  ever,  preach  outside  of  their 
own  church.  At  recreation,  so  called,  each  has  his  own  as- 
signed seat  which  he  must  occupy.  Everything  was  done 
in  the  Italian  style,  whether  that  style  were  worthy  of  imi- 
tation or  reformation.  Moreover  there  was  an  exaggerated 
devotion  to  St.  Philip  Neri,  the  great  founder,  which  ex- 
pressed itself  in  perpetual  references  to  him  in  season  and 
out  of  season.  They  smiled  because  St.  Philip  smiled,  and 
laughed  because  St.  Philip  laughed,  and  so  of  other  things." 

151 


CHAPTER    X. 
THE  JESUIT  NOVICE. 

AS  the  life  of  the  Oratorians  was  not  to  his  liking,  Van 
Rensselaer  decided  to  return,  for  a  time  at  least,  to 
America,  and,  learning  that  Cardinal  McCloskey  was  about 
to  sail  for  New  York,  he  embarked  from  Havre  on  the  same 
steamer.  The  voyage  was  not  without  its  influence  upon 
his  future.  There  were  on  board  three  Jesuits  bound  for 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  One  of  them,  Father  Canestrelli, 
was  a  theologian  of  some  note,  and  the  successor  of  Cardi- 
nal Franzelin  in  the  divinity  chair  of  the  Gregorian  Uni- 
versity in  Rome.  They  were  now  travelling  second  class  to 
an  obscure  mission  among  the  Indians.  They  were  bad 
travellers  and  were  very  sea-sick.  Van  Rensselaer  saw  a 
great  deal  of  these  men  and  administered  to  their  wants  as 
far  as  he  was  able.  Their  humility,  poverty  and  self-sacri- 
fice did  much  to  counteract  the  prejudice  he  entertained 
after  his  disagreeable  experience  with  the  Jesuit  in  Paris, 
and  brought  about  in  him  the  first  conscious  attraction  to 
the  Society  which  formed  such  men. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  New  York,  he  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  Rev.  John  Prendergast,  S.J.,  then  sta- 
tioned at  the  Church  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  New  York 
City.  To  mention  Father  Prendergast's  name  is  to  call  to 
the  mind  of  those  who  knew  him,  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able of  the  New  York  priests  of  his  time.  A  man  of  sterling 
character,  he  was  fitted  by  his  cast  of  mind  and  literary  at- 
tainments to  make  a  deep  impression  on  the  new  convert. 

152 


THE  JESUIT  NOVICE. 

The  acquaintance  soon  ripened  into  a  friendship,  and  then 
into  an  intimacy  which  remained  unbroken  until  death  sep- 
arated them  a  generation  later.  In  scholarship  Father  Pren- 
dergast  did  not  lose  by  comparison  with  any  of  the  Ox- 
ford dons;  in  spiritual  insight  he  easily  surpassed  them. 
What  was  of  supreme  "importance,  he  could,  like  an  elder 
brother,  counsel  and  direct  one  who,  as  yet,  was  little  better 
than  a  catechumen.  He  first  suggested  that  Van  Kensselaer 
should  make  a  retreat,  after  the  method  laid  down  by  St 
Ignatius  of  Loyola  in  the  book  of  Spiritual  Exercises.  Nay, 
more,  Father  Prendergast  would  himself  act  as  his  spiritual 
guide.  Accordingly,  towards  the  end  of  June,  1878,  they 
withdrew  to  the  Jesuit  Novitiate  at  West  Park  on  the  Hud- 
son, where  Van  Rensselaer  went  through  the  Spiritual  Ex- 
ercises under  the  guidance  of  his  new  director.  At  the  end 
of  the  retreat,  he  applied  for  admission  to  the  Society  of 
Jesus,  and  was  received  by  the  Rev.  Theophile  Charaux, 
S.J.,  the  Superior  of  the  New  York  and  Canada  Mission. 

Father  Oiaraux  wisely  determined  to  send  the  earnest 
and  devout  applicant  to  Roehampton,  England,  for  his  no- 
vitiate, where  he  could  receive  a  spiritual  formation  among 
candidates  many  of  whom  were  converts  like  himself,  and 
under  superiors  who  had  exceptional  experience  in  training 
such  men.  After  a  few  months  passed  with  his  family,  he 
sailed  on  October  2,  visiting  Paris,  Lourdes  and  Paray-le- 
Monial,  before  he  entered  the  Jesuit  Novitiate  on  Novem- 
ber 1,  1878.  We  are  indebted  to  the  family  of  Father  Van 
Rensselaer  for  a  series  of  letters  sent  from  England  during 
the  following  two  years.  They  are  written  in  an  easy,  fa- 
miliar style;  simple  and  utterly  devoid  of  self-conscious- 
ness, as  all  such  letters  should  be,  and  reveal,  not  only  the 
workings  of  his  mind  and  heart,  but  the  admirable  prepara- 

158 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

tion  he  was  unconsciously  making  for  his  future  apostolic 
career.  The  first  two  letters  were  written  during  the  voy- 
age. 

"ON  BOARD  THE  PEREIRE, 

"October  2,  1878. 

"Just  one  word  before  we  are  out  of  sight  of  land.  This 
is  an  auspicious  day  for  sailing,  for  it  is  dedicated  to  the 
Holy  Guardian  Angels,  and  these  words  were  on  my  little 
French  Almanac:  'C'est  la  voix  de  mon  ange:  Je  suis  ton 
ami  et  je  te  conduirai  moi-meme  jusqu'au  terme  dans  la  voie 
ou  tu  dois  marcher.' 

"It  is  always  au  revoir. 

"HENRY." 

"PEREIRE, 

"October  11,  1878. 

"We  are  not  far  from  land.  In  a  few  hours  we  expect 
to  pass  the  Scilly  Islands  and  then  it  is  a  run  of  eighteen 
hours  to  Havre.  It  is  quite  calm  and  pleasant  now,  but  we 
have  had  an  awful  time  of  it.  Perhaps  you  saw  by  the 
papers  that  there  had  been  a  storm  at  sea;  well,  we  had  it 
in  all  its  terror.  For  three  days  we  were  in  danger,  turned 
upside  down  every  few  minutes,  huge  waves  breaking  over 
the  bulwarks  and  leaking  down  into  the  cabins;  sleep  was 
impossible.  The  smoking  room  was  rendered  useless ;  a 
wave  broke  the  door  and  windows,  and  then  the  water 
rushed  down  into  the  ladies'  saloon.  Fortunately  it  was  at 
night,  when  no  one  was  there.  It  is  all  over  now,  Dieu 
merci." 

The  following  letter  is  the  first  he  wrote  from  Roe- 
hampton : — 


THE  JESUIT   NOVICE.' 

"MANRESA  HOUSE,  ROKHAMPTON, 

"November  10,  1878. 

"This  place  is  beautiful;  it  was  formerly  the  hunting 
lodge  of  the  Earl  of  Bessborough,  and  adjoins  Richmond 
Park.  Our  grounds  are  very  extensive  and  we  can  take  a 
long  walk  in  them ;  but  several  times  a  week  we  go  where 
we  choose.  Wimbledon  Common  is  quite  near,  and  a  fa- 
vorite walk  is  to  the  famous  Star  and  Garter  Inn  at  Rich- 
mond. The  good  walkers  go  as  far  as  London,  but  it  is  a 
pretty  long  stretch,  particularly  for  Americans,  and  I  prefer 
steam  legs  to  carry  me.  I  was  very  kindly  received,  and 
put  under  the  charge  of  General  Sherman's  son,  who  has 
been  here  since  June.  He  made  me  feel  at  home  at  once, 
and  we  have  a  good  many  walks  together.  I  have  a  fine 
view  of  Richmond  Park  from  my  window.  It  is  like  the 
open  country,  with  splendid  trees.  The  novices  are  a  very 
jolly  crowd,  and  we  have  many  a  laugh  together;  in  most 
things  we  are  congenial,  a  happy  family  in  all  senses  of  the 
word,  and  yet  collected  from  many  nations :  English,  Scotch, 
Irish,  American,  Belgian,  German,  French,  Italian,  Dalma- 
tian, Syrian,  Maltese;  yet  there  is  no  national  feeling,  and 
the  foreigners  are  usually  the  favorites.  Americans  are  con- 
sidered to  have  the  power  of  adapting  themselves  to  circum- 
stances. perha|>s  because  they  travel  so  much.  It  seems  to 
l>e  a  true  reputation.  We  have  an  ancient  novice  who  is  half 
a  Canadian,  having  lived  much  in  Canada;  his  family  has  a 
large  estate  there,  and  he  has  crossed  the  Atlantic  thirty 
times.  The  life  is  rather  hard  for  an  elderly  person,  but  it 
is  amusing  to  see  what  the  things  are  to  which  different  peo- 
ple attach  importance.  His  greatest  trial  was  having  only 
one  towel;  he  had  always  used  six  at  a  time." 

155 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

Dating  from  his  reception  into  the  Church,  Van  Rensse- 
laer  had  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  work  of  the  missions. 
The  missionary  spirit,  so  necessary  for  the  apostolic  man, 
took  hold  of  him  in  the  very  cradle  of  his  religious  life  and 
waxed  stronger  day  by  day  as  time  went  on.  On  January 
22,  1879,  he  writes:— 

"I  am  reading  'Marshall's  Christian  Missions.'  It  is  in- 
tensely interesting.  It  is  astonishing  to  find  that  there  has 
been  for  three  centuries  and  still  exists,  a  flourishing  Church 
in  China,  with  thousands  of  martyrs  and  confessors.  On 
the  31st  of  this  month,  a  Jesuit  Mission  is  to  be  begun  in 
Central  Africa,  covering  the  discoveries  of  Livingston  and 
Stanley.  It  belongs  to  this  Province  by  courtesy  to  the  dis- 
coverers, I  suppose,  for  most  of  the  Fathers  who  are  to  go 
are  French  or  Belgian,  the  universal  missionaries.  These 
missions  and  their  results  are  a  most  convincing  proof  of  the 
truth  of  Catholicism.  In  all  ages  the  preaching  of  the  Gos- 
pel has  been  followed  by  precisely  the  same  effects :  perfect 
self -(abnegation,  marvellous  supernatural  courage,  and 
miracles  of  healing,  etc.  To  my  mind,  the  greatest  miracle 
is  the  supernatural  strength  given  to  young  and  old,  women, 
and  even  children,  to  endure  unheard-of  tortures  without 
denying  their  faith.  The  Chinese  converts  were  begged  by 
Mandarins  simply  to  step  upon  the  cross — they  might  be- 
lieve what  they  chose  if  they  would  conform  outwardly — 
but  they  scouted  the  suggestion  and  cheerfully  suffered  and 
died  for  Our  Lord.  Truly  such  faith  puts  us  to  the  blush." 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  which  were  written 
at  Roehampton  give  us  a  good  insight  into  the  work-a-day 
life  of  the  Jesuit  novice.  Several  hours  a  day  are  given  to 
vocal  and  mental  prayer,  spiritual  reading  and  self-examina- 

156 


KEV.  JOHN    PRENDERGAST,  S.J. 


THE  JESUIT   NOVICE. 

tion.  Of  these  duties  Van  Rensselaer  says  little,  deeming 
them  of  slight  interest  even  to  his  family,  but  dwells  on  the 
external  occupations  which  afford  more  interesting  matter 
for  letter-writing. 

"February  1,  1879. 

"I  am  very  busy  this  month  as  I  have  the  office  of  First 
Refectorian,  which  is  quite  responsible.  I  have  to  direct  all 
the  work  in  the  Refectory  and  attend  to  the  proper  serving 
of  the  meals.  It  requires  management  and  common  sense. 
You  will  say :  'What  is  the  use  of  your  doing  such  things?' 
Well,  one  reason  is,  that  it  rests  our  minds  from  studying; 
another  very  important  one  is,  that  it  trains  us  to  take  super- 
vision and  direction  and  submit  to  bearing  hardships,  for  it 
is  not  exactly  a  pleasure." 

"July  13,  1879. 

"I  may  not  have  another  chance  of  writing  for  some 
time,  as  we  are  very  busy  hay-making.  We  have  had  rain 
every  day  for  a  month,  but  on  Wednesday  the  weather 
seemed  to  change,  so  our  grass  was  partly  cut,  and  we  were 
set  to  work  to  shake  and  turn  it  in  order  to  get  it  dried  as 
soon  as  possible.  All  our  studies  stop  during  the  hay-mak- 
ing, and  we  are  only  allowed  time  for  praying,  eating  and 
sleeping,  the  three  necessities  of  our  life.  We  even  work 
after  supi>er  when  there  is  danger  of  rain." 

"August  1. 

"We  are  still  busy  in  the  hay-field  and  are  well  sun- 
burned. I  am  sure  it  will  do  us  a  great  deal  of  good  to  be 
so  much  in  the  oj>cn  air  and  in  such  healthy  exercise.  The 
frequent  showers  doubled,  or  rather  quadrupled,  our  exer- 

157 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

tions ;  it  was  necessary  to  do  so  much  shaking-  to  get  the  hay 
dried.  However,  we  have  got  three-fourths  secured  in  a 
stack,  while  the  rest  still  demands  our  attention.  We  get 
through  a  great  deal  of  work  in  the  morning,  when  we  do 
not  talk,  but  in  the  afternoon  our  tongues  do  more  than  our 
hands.  The  weather  has  been  unfavorable  for  fruit,  but 
our  strawberries  have  ripened,  and  very  good  ones  they  are. 
English  people  do  not  eat  fruit  as  we  do  in  America — half  a 
dozen  strawberries  satisfy  them.  We  have  to  gather  fruit 
now  for  preserving — strawberries  and  black  currants — so 
you  see,  we  have  a  variety  of  work.  I  think,  however,  that 
I  prefer  the  good  old  routine.  It  has  fallen  to  my  lot  to  ar- 
range flowers  for  the  Altar,  so  I  am  quite  in  my  element. 
We  have  beautiful  roses  of  all  kinds." 

"September  17,  1879. 

"It  is  some  time  since  I  have  written,  as  I  have  been  very 
busy.  First  our  week's  Retreat ;  then  for  ten  days  I  have 
been  helping  the  cook,  a  very  delightful  occupation,  as  you 
may  imagine,  for  the  quondam  fastidious  H.  V.  R.  How- 
ever, I  am  getting  on  very  well,  notwithstanding  the  smells 
and  the  grease.  It  is  hard  work  to  stand  over  the  steaming 
tubs,  washing  dishes  and  scouring  pots  and  pans.  As  we 
have  a  large  community,  they  reckon  about  seven  hundred 
plates  a  day,  but  they  are  nothing  compared  to  the  greasy 
pots  and  pans.  This  work  is  supposed  to  be  an  antidote  to 
pride,  although  one  can  be  proud  of  being  a  good  scullery 
man.  This  summer  has  been  rather  a  contrast  to  previous 
ones,  when  I  was  decidedly  an  idler.  Now,  it  is  impossible 
to  be  idle,  and  I  see  that  time  is  too  precious  to  be  wasted." 

The  Feast  of  All  Saints,  1  $?'!),  was  the  first  anniversary 

158 


THE  JESUIT   NOVICE. 

of  his  entrance  into  the  novitiate.  No  shadow  of  doubt  of 
his  being  where  God  wished  him  to  be  ever  crossed  his 
mind.  He  was  very  happy,  and  wrote  home  assuring  his 
family  of  his  contentment. 

"All  Saints  Day,  1879. 

"To-day  is  my  birthday  in  the  Society  of  Jesus,  and  in 
one  year  more  I  hope  to  take  my  simple  vows  on  this  great 
feast.  I  am  perfectly  happy  and  very  thankful  for  my  voca- 
tion. I  shall  appreciate  this  year  more  than  the  last,  for  the 
foundation  is  not  the  most  interesting  part  of  the  spiritual 
structure.  I  have  passed  through  everything  that  we  have 
in  the  way  of  trials.  Many  will  come  again  to  my  share, 
but  they  will  be  like  old  friends." 

There  was  not  much  chance  for  letter-writing  for  a  month 
or  more,  but  the  day  after  Christmas  he  wrote  again  :— 

"December  26,  1871). 

"I  have  been  very  busy  for  the  past  month  as  Refectorian  ; 
the  long  retreat  is  going  on,  and  those  who  are  making  it 
do  not  help  as  usual.  The  lay-brother  novice  who  was  chief 
Refectorian  went  into  retreat  to  prepare  for  taking  his  vows 
and  for  five  days  I  have  had  his  place.  To-day,  however, 
my  labors  cease.  In  spite  of  all,  I  have  had  a  very  happy 
feast.  We  had  a  delightful  Midnight  Mass,  preceded  by  the 
'Adeste,'  arranged  by  Novello  for  solo,  duet,  trio  and 
chorus.  I  sang  the  bass  solo.  We  had  a  High  Mass  in  the 
public  chapel,  and  in  the  afternoon  we  all  went  to  Farm 
Street  for  Vespers.  The  fog  was  so  thick  that  we  almost 
lost  our  way  in  Waterloo  Place.  The  Holy  Innocents  is 
our  great  day,  and  we  hope  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Little  Sis- 

159 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

ters  of  the  Poor.  On  St.  Stanislaus'  Day  three  of  us  novices 
went  to  Nazareth  House  and  were  treated  most  cordially. 
The  Mother  General  took  us  everywhere  herself.  She  sug- 
gested that  we  ask  for  a  holiday  for  her  novices ;  so  we  did, 
only  stipulating  that  they  should  say  their  beads  for  us.  I 
have  a  great  devotion  to  the  Holy  Innocents.  This  was  a 
favorite  devotion  of  St.  Francis  de  Gales,  who  died  invok- 
ing them.  There  is  something  grand  not  only  in  dying  for 
Our  Lord,  like  the  martyrs,  but  in  dying  instead  of  Him. 
like  these  little  Innocents.  A  very  Happy  New  Year.  Each 
ought  to  be  happier  than  the  last,  because  it  brings  us  nearer 
to  Our  Lord." 

"Feast  of  the  Epiphany,  1880. 

"A  great  feast  day,  and  many  of  the  novices  have  gone 
to  London  to  the  different  churches,  but  I  thought  I  should 
like  a  quiet  afternoon  for  writing.  My  little  plan  was  in- 
terrupted by  being  called  upon  to  help  wash  the  dinner 
things,  so  I  set  it  down  as  something  to  offer  Our  Lord  on 
Epiphany;  not  much,  it  is  true,  but  having  given  myself,  I 
can  only  give  what  I  can  do  in  His  service." 

In  the  two  letters  that  follow,  his  predilection  for  the  mis- 
sions again  asserts  itself: — 

"Feast  of  Purification,  1880. 

"I  am  trying  to  pick  up  a  little  Spanish  and  find  it  easy, 
knowing  French  well,  and  Latin,  which  is  the  mother 
tongue.  I  received  an  incentive  from  a  letter  Father  W. 
wrote  me  from  California.  He  had  spent  six  weeks  with  a 
tribe  of  Indians,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Los  An- 
geles. He  taught  them  their  prayers  and  did  everything 

100 


THE  JESUIT   NOVICE. 

for  them  except  burying  them,  as  none  of  them  would  die 
just  then.  They  fitted  up  a  mud  hut  as  a  chapel  and  draped 
it  tastefully  with  bright  colored  calicoes.  It  was  really 
pretty,  but  weird  looking,  when  filled  with  dusky  men  in 
skins,  women  in  calicoes,  and  babies  an  naturel.  He  taught 
and  preached  in  Spanish,  and  it  must  have  been  consoling 
to  be  able  to  do  so  much  for  those  poor  Indians.  It  always 
fills  me  with  enthusiasm  to  hear  of  real  missionary  work." 

"February  27. 

"Winter  is  coming  to  an  end.  bushes  are  budding,  and  the 
ground  has  thawed.  I  am  not  sorry,  as  my  outdoor  work 
is  to  break  up  earth  for  a  new  walk.  Xot  an  easy  task  to 
use  a  pickaxe  on  ground  as  hard  as  the  nether  mill-stone.  I 
am  translating  from  the  French  the  Diary  of  Father  Depel- 
chin,  one  of  our  missionaries  in  South  Africa.  They  have 
a  great  deal  to  contend  with,  especially  the  lack  of  water 
in  crossing  the  deserts,  and  also  of  food,  as  the  country  is 
barren,  and  there  are  few  animals.  The  poor  missionaries 
have  to  live  on  a  little  rice  or  millet  with  small  quantities  of 
coffee  to  wash  it  down.  Yet  they  write  most  contentedly 
and  are  grateful  for  the  privilege  of  carrying  the  Gospel  to 
the  poor  benighted  savages.  I  enjoy  translating  it  and  feel 
as  if  I  were  helping  them  in  a  small  way.  You  will  be 
glad  to  hear  that  I  get  two  hours  a  week  practice  on  the 
harmonium,  so  I  shall  not  forget  the  little  that  I  know. 
Our  voices,  too,  are  well  trained.  We  have  a  new  choir- 
master, a  novice  who  was  the  organist  of  St.  Bartholo- 
mew's. Brighton.  Three  other  novices,  converts,  came  from 
that  church.  One  was  a  curate,  another  superintendent  of 
a  Sunday-school,  while  the  fourth,  a  lay  brother,  was  a 
chorister.  The  singing  has  improved  wonderfully  under 

161 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

the  regime  of  the  choir-master.  We  practise  for  an  hour 
every  morning.  I  can  never  have  too  much  singing,  as  it 
is  a  great  pleasure." 

After  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  this  Life,  the 
following  letter  was  received  from  a  companion  of  Van 
Rensselaer  at  Roehampton,  which  gives  us  a  charming  pic- 
ture of  him  as  he  appeared  to  his  fellow  novices.  The  testi- 
mony of  this  eye-witness  is  valuable,  for  it  furnishes  an  ex- 
trinsic proof,  if  any  such  proof  were  needed,  of  the  absolute 
sincerity  of  the  novice  as  he  appears  in  his  own  letters,  and 
the  perfect  correspondence  between  what  he  wrote  at  the 
time  to  others  and  what  he  endeavored  to  put  in  practice  in 
his  daily  life. 

"I  remember  very  well  the  evening  when  coming  in  from 
a  walk  I  saw  a  hansom  drive  up  to  Manresa,  and  a  tall, 
good-looking  young  man  alight  from  it  and  enter  the  house. 
I  thought  it  was  some  one  coming  to  make  a  retreat.  Later 
in  the  day  Brother  Sherman  told  me  it  was  an  American 
convert,  an  ex-Episcopalian  clergyman,  Van  Rensselaer. 
We  were  soon  thrown  together  in  various  ways.  There 
were  some  forty  novices;  six  or  seven  of  them  had,  like 
Brother  Van,  Sherman  and  myself,  seen  something  of  life 
in  the  world,  while  most  of  the  novices  were  fresh  from  col- 
lege. Father  Porter  kindly  told  us  older  men  that,  without 
neglecting  the  younger  ones,  he  would  not  be  displeased  at 
our  being  a  good  deal  together  on  our  walks,  etc. 

"I  was  'scullery  man'  with  Brother  Van  for  a  fortnight. 
For  some  months  our  desks  and  our  beds  were  side  by  side 
in  that  room  looking  out  on  Richmond  Park.  The  day  he 
went  to  see  the  convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Nazareth  with 

162 


THEv  JESUIT  NOVICE. 

'Sherman  and  another,'  I  was  the  other.  He  talks  in  one 
letter  of  working  with  a  pick  breaking  ground  for  a  new 
path,  with  the  ground  frozen  hard  as  iron.  That  was  a  job 
of  some  weeks  which  I  directed,  as  I  was  supposed  to  be 
knacky  in  such  things. 

"The  book  is  full  of  reminders.  I  soon  saw  that  Brother 
Van  was  a  model  novice  who  would  be  a  splendid  Jesuit. 
Living  side  by  side  with  him  in  the  same  room  I  was  greatly 
edified  by  everything  I  saw.  There  was  a  Berchmans-like 
fidelity  in  little  things.  He  was  never  a  moment  late,  never 
unoccupied,  always  alert,  with  his  quiet  self-possessed  air; 
busy,  but  never  in  a  flurry  over  things.  Here  is  an  incident 
that  shows  his  devotion  to  holy  poverty  in  those  early  days. 
He  said  to  me  one  day,  smiling,  'You  waste  a  lot  of  good 
paper.  I  have  made  a  book  for  myself  of  sheets  of  paper 
you  threw  into  the  waste-paper  basket  between  our  desks.' 
The  paper  was  half  sheets  torn  off  letters,  and  ends  of  paper 
left  at  the  foot  of  pages  of  rough  memoranda  I  had  thrown 
away  after  copying. 

"To  every  one  he  was  kindness  itself.  I  never  heard  him 
make  a  remark  about  anyone  that  had  the  slightest  air  of 
critieal  censure  in  it,  and  he  never  spoke  of  himself.  A 
chance  remark  once  led  to  his  speaking  to  me  of  his  hopes 
of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Mission,  but  this  was  exceptional. 

"I  had  some  very  kind  letters  from  him  after  he  went  to 
America.  It  was  my  fault  that  the  correspondence  was  not 
kept  up,  and  I  now  realize  it  was  my  great  loss.  But  I  take 
his  Life  as  a  long  letter  to  me.  ...  It  shows  the  real- 
ization of  all  we  expected  from  his  life  as  a  novice." 


163 


CHAPTER    XL 
LETTERS  TO  His  MOTHER. 

IT  would  be  strange  indeed  if  Van  Rensselaer,  who  all 
through  his  life  manifested  so  much  devotion  and  affec- 
tion for  his  friends,  should  be  wanting  in  devotion  and 
affection  for  his  mother.  Later  on,  one  of  the  reasons  for 
which  he  thanked  God  that  he  was  assigned  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry  in  New  York  was  the  hope  that  frequent  inter- 
course with  her  would  soften  the  prejudices  she  felt  towards 
the  Catholic  Church,  and  possibly  lead  her  into  the  fold. 
The  gift  of  faith  and  all  that  goes  with  it  would  be  held  in 
light  esteem  indeed  were  he  to  give  but  little  thought  to 
sharing  them  with  one  whom  he  loved  so  tenderly.  But  it 
was  not  to  be.  His  mother  never  became  a  Catholic,  and 
with  deep  regret  some  years  after  he  became  a  priest,  he  saw 
her  buried  from  a  Protestant  church  with  Protestant  ser- 
vices. Nor  in  the  matter  of  her  son's  conversion  did  Mrs. 
Van  Rensselaer  ever  become  quite  reconciled.  She  declined 
to  attend  his  ordination  to  the  priesthood  on  the  ground 
that  she  had  once  seen  him  ordained  a  deacon  in  the  Epis- 
copal Church.  However,  she  always  received  him  lovingly, 
and  aided  him  constantly  when  he  sought  her  help  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor  or  the  support  of  the  charitable  works  in 
which  he  was  interested. 

From  Roehampton  the  son  wrote  to  his  mother  often. 
The  letters  display  exquisite  tact  and  delicacy  in  speaking 
to  her  of  his  status  as  a  novice  and  his  desire  to  have  her 
learn  something  about  the  Catholic  Church.  The  first  letter 
was  written  from  England  on  his  way  to  the  novitiate. 

164 


LETTERS  TO   HIS   MOTHER 

"LONDON, 

"October  30,  1878. 
"My  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"As  you  see,  I  have  left  Paris.  I  only  got  here  to-day,  a 
few  hours  ago,  having  had  a  very  disagreeable  crossing  by 
Dieppe  and  Nevvhaven.  I  was  next  door  to  being  sick,  but 
escaped.  I  enjoyed  my  visit  to  Paris  very  much  and  should 
have  been  sorry  to  leave,  had  it  not  been  to  enter  upon  my 
life-work.  Last  week  I  was  gone  four  days  from  Paris,  as 
I  wanted  to  see  Paray-le-Monial  and  Lourdes.  The  scenery 
about  Lourdes  is  beautiful;  it  is,  you  know,  in  the 
Pyrenees,  built  partly  upon  a  mountain  and  partly  in  the 
valley  through  which  the  river  runs.  The  church  is  exquis- 
ite and  in  very  good  taste,  and  full  of  magnificent  banners 
carried  there  by  pilgrims  and  left  as  souvenirs  of  the  pil- 
grimage. I  noticed  our  flag  hanging  up.  There  are  not 
many  jx^ople  there  now,  as  it  is  too  late  in  the  season  and 
there  is  apt  to  be  a  great  deal  of  rain ;  besides,  the  holiday 
tours  are  over,  and  people  cannot  leave  home  without  some 
sj)ecial  reason.  Of  course  there  are  always  some  invalids 
there. 

"I  had  quite  a  time  getting  to  Ix>urdes,  as  I  wanted  to 
stop  at  Paray-le-Monial.  I  left  Paris  on  Tuesday  at  8.30 
in  the  evening,  and  had  to  change  cars  at  X  A.  M.  and  wait 
an  hour.  However,  by  the  change  I  made  the  acquaintance 
of  a  young  Belgian.  He  was  such  a  swell-looking  fellow 
that  I  hesitated  at  first  about  getting  into  the  same  carriage 
with  him.  I  did,  though,  and  found  in  him  a  fellow  pilgrim. 
Although  rather  momlain  looking,  nevertheless  he  had  re- 
solved to  fly  the  world  and  retire  into  a  monastery,  as  he 
had  been  very  worldly,  he  told  me.  He  is  only  twenty-eight, 
handsome  and  rich,  and  his  friends  and  family  are  desolees, 

105 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

r 

but  he  has  to  follow  his  vocation.  I  liked  him  very  much, 
and  was  pleased  to  find  in  real  life  what  sounds  very  like  a 
novel.  On  parting  he  gave  me  a  very  pretty  illuminated 
parchment  card  with  a  motto,  'Pensons  au  Ciel  et  nous 
aurons  le  courage  d'etre  fideles  a  Dieu  quoiqu'il  en  coute.' 
Very  appropriate  for  us  both.  I,  strange  to  say,  had  a  card 
with  the  likeness  of  St.  Norbert,  the  founder  of  the  Order 
of  the  Premonstratensians,  which  was  the  order  my  friend 
had  chosen.  His  name  was  Van  der  Heyden. 

"I  could  only  spend  a  few  hours  at  Paray-le-Monial,  but 
long  enough  to  see  the  Chapel  of  the  Visitation.  I  had  hard 
work  to  get  thence  to  Lourdes,  as  it  is  all  across  country, 
and  there  were  no  through  trains,  and  I  was  from  2  p.  M. 
Wednesday  until  7  P.  M.  Thursday  en  route  and  had  to 
change  six  times.  I  made  friends,  though,  so  I  did  not  mind 
it  very  much.  I  had  nearly  two  days  at  Lourdes  and  got 
back  to  Paris  on  Sunday  morning  at  5.30,  as  I  wanted  to  be 
once  more  at  the  Sunday  services  at  my  old  friends,  the 
Paris  churches.  .  .  . 

"Your  devoted  son, 

"HARRY." 

The  letters  which  follow  are  addressed  to  his  mother 
from  the  Novitiate.  They  possess  a  charm  all  their  own; 
the  piety  is  neither  strained  nor  affected,  and  they  show 
that  he  was  happy,  light-hearted  and  as  fond  of  his  mother 
as  a  loving  and  devoted  son  could  be. 

"MANRESA  HOUSE, 
"ROEHAMPTON, 

"November  17,  1878. 
"Mv  DEAREST  MOTHER  : 

"I  have  no  news  to  write  you  from  here,  so  I  will  tell  you 
a  little  about  my  life  at  present.  So,  to  begin.  Imagine  a 

166 


LETTERS   TO   HIS   MOTHER 

very  large  room  with  three  windows  and  six  little  cells  par- 
titioned off  with  curtains  for  doors;  the  rest  of  the  room  is 
open,  has  bureaus  and  desks  for  each  of  us,  with  a  pleasant 
fire  burning  in  the  grate.  Each  cell  has  an  iron  bed,  with 
comfortable  mattress,  a  washstand  and  a  chair.  There  are 
very  many  such  dormitories;  each  has  about  six  cells.  Do 
not  be  alarmed  at  the  word  'cell/  for  it  is  in  fact  not  at  aJl 
alarming,  but  I  can't  think  of  any  other  word  to  suit.  It 
is  far  more  spacious  than  the  prophet's  chamber  in  the  wall ; 
he  certainly  hadn't  gas. 

"It  is  night,  and  we  are  all  sleeping  the  sleep  of  the  right- 
eous ;  at  a  quarter  past  five  in  the  morning  a  step  is  heard 
and  a  voice  at  each  door  calling  out  Deo  gratuts  (Thanks  be 
to  God)  ;  everyone  replies  at  once,  Deo  gratias,  and  jumps 
out  of  bed ;  the  fire  is  lighted  and  likewise  the  gas,  and  the 
work  of  washing  and  dressing  begins.  We  have  half  an 
hour  allowed  us  for  it,  then  all  go  down  to  the  Chapel,  and 
the  bell  rings  for  the  Angeliis,  which  is  so  called  because  it 
is  the  memorial  of  the  Incarnation  of  Our  Lord,  beginning 
with  the  words  'Angcliis  Domini'  (the  Angel  of  the  Lord 
declared  unto  Mary,  etc.),  and  ending  with  what  you  will 
find  in  the  Prayer  Book  as  the  Collect  for  the  Annunciation 
of  the  B.  V.  M.  Then  all  make  a  prayer  called  the  'morn- 
ing oblation,'  in  which  they  offer  up  themselves,  all  their 
thoughts,  words  and  actions,  pains  and  sufferings  of  the  day 
to  Almighty  God  in  union  with  those  of  Our  Lord  while  on 
earth.  It  is  very  comprehensive,  takes  in  everything,  thanks- 
giving, intercession,  confession  of  past  faults,  intentions  for 
the  future.  There  is  no  regular  form  for  it,  and  ten  minutes 
are  allowed.  Then  we  all  return  to  our  rooms  and  make  a 
meditation  on  some  text  of  scripture,  events  in  Our  Lord's 
life,  or  on  some  virtue  or  some  vice,  etc.,  which  one  can 

167 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

choose  at  will. '  This  lasts  for  an  hour  and  is  done  kneeling 
for  a  quarter,  standing  for  a  quarter,  sitting  for  a  quarter, 
kneeling  again  for  a  quarter,  during  which  resolutions  for 
the  day  are  made.  Then  all  go  to  the  chapel  for  Mass ;  sev- 
eral times  in  the  week  we  receive  Holy  Communion.  At  a 
quarter  to  eight  we  have  breakfast,  as  much  coffee,  bread 
and  butter  as  we  can  eat.  At  8.25  we  make  our  beds,  doing 
it  thoroughly,  stripping  them  every  day — this  is  de  rigueur. 
At  8.35  we  read  Rodriguez  on  Christian  Perfection.  Then 
we  have  an  exhortation  upon  some  duty,  after  which  we  do 
some  work  about  the  house,  help  in  the  refectory,  or  the 
sacristy,  or  the  chapel,  or  the  kitchen,  or  the  library,  for 
twenty  minutes.  This  is  followed  in  fine  weather  by  some 
manual  labor,  raking  leaves,  digging  in  the  garden,  rolling 
the  paths,  drawing  water  for  drinking,  etc. 

Of  course  the  object  of  the  work  is  to  accustom  us  to  help 
ourselves  and  to  be  ready  for  anything.  It  is  good  to  have 
our  hands  going  sometimes  instead  of  our  heads.  The  out- 
door work  lasts  about  half  an  hour.  Then  we  study,  and  at 
12.30  wash  and  get  ready  for  dinner ;  at  12.45  we  go  into 
the  chapel  for  what  is  called  the  particular  cxamen,  that  is 
we  renew  in  our  minds  all  we  have  thought,  done,  said,  or 
omitted  since  the  morning,  dwelling  on  the  resolution  made 
in  the  morning's  meditation  to  correct  some  fault  or  to  prac- 
tice some  act  of  virtue.  The  Angelus  bell  rings  at  1,  and 
when  the  prayer  is  said  dinner  begins.  There  is  no  talking 
at  meals,  but  instead  there  is  reading,  first  a  portion  of  Scrip- 
ture, then  some  history  or  biography,  ending  with  the  list  of 
the  martyrs  and  saints  whose  anniversaries  occur  on  the 
following  day.  After  every  meal  all  go  into  the  chapel  for 
a  few  moments  of  silent  prayer.  Recreation  for  an  hour 
follows,  with  prayer  for  a  quarter,  reading  of  the  Imitation 

108 


LETTERS   TO   HIS   MOTHER. 

of  Christ  for  another  quarter,  then  work  indoors  and  out- 
doors, with  some  free  time  afterwards.  Three  times  a  week 
one  of  us  has  to  catechise  the  others  as  if  they  were  children, 
in  order  to  get  facility  in  questioning  and  explaining.  Twice 
a  week  we  practise  singing;  and  time  is  given  for  spiritual 
reading,  lives  of  saints,  etc.  At  six  there  is  half  an  hour's 
meditation  in  the  chapel,  followed  by  prayers.  Supper  is  at 
7.35,  with  recreation  for  an  hour.  At  0  litanies  are  recited 
in  the  chapel.  After  that  we  prepare  points  for  the  next 
morning's  meditation;  at  9.30  make  an  examination  of  con- 
science about  all  we  have  done,  thought,  said  during  the 
day;  at  a  quarter  to  ten  prepare  for  bed,  and  at  ten  lights 
out. 

"So  you  see  we  lead  quite  an  active  and  certainly  a  very 
busy  life ;  at  the  same  time  it  is  a  very  spiritual  one.  During 
the  day  we  speak  only  at  recreation  hours;  at  other  times 
whenever  it  is  necessary,  and  then  the  language  used  must 
be  Latin  if  possible.  After  all  we  have  plenty  of  time  for 
talking.  On  Wednesdays  and  Sundays  we  have  long  walks 
in  fine  weather,  and  on  Sundays  do  not  work.  We  are  a 
very  jolly  set  and  very  happy.  Recreation  hours  are  very 
lively ;  there  are  no  cares  to  weigh  upon  us  and  everything 
to  help  us  in  our  spiritual  life.  What  more  can  we  ask  for? 
Of  course,  this  is  only  for  a  time.  In  time  of  peace  prqxire 
for  war,  and  this  is  our  time  of  peace.  The  war  time  will 
come.  We  begin  a  month's  retreat  on  the  24th,  lasting  un- 
til Christinas.  During  this  I  shall  not  be  able  to  write  any 
letters,  but  will  make  up  for  lost  time  when  it  is  over,  so  do 
not  \)C  worried  by  not  hearing  from  me.  but  write  all  the 
same.  I  have  a  commission  for  you.  I  want  you  to  knit  me 
a  pair  of  hand  muffs,  also  a  pair  of  mittens.  They  will  be 
useful  for  working  and  walking;  black  is  the  best  color 

1GD 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

(excuse  the  bull),  because  it  won't  get  soiled.   I  hope  every- 
body thinks  as  often  of  me  as  I  do  of  them. 

"Ever  your  devoted  son, 

"HARRY." 

"MANRESA  HOUSE, 

"ROEHAMPTON, 

"Christmas  Day,  1878. 
"Mv  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"It  is  quite  strange  to  begin  writing  letters  again  after 
my  long  silence.  My  first  letter  is,  of  course,  to  you.  You 
know  well  how  much  and  lovingly  I  have  had  you  in  my 
mind  to-day.  We  had  Mass  at  midnight,  beginning  by  sing- 
ing 'Adeste  Fideles' ;  you  may  be  sure  that  we  sang  it  with 
all  our  might ;  one  never  tires  of  it,  and  it  never  seems  hack- 
neyed. Christmas  would  seem  incomplete  without  it.  At 
Holy  Communion  I  thought  particularly  of  you  and  all  my 
family.  When  one  thinks  of  the  Holy  Family,  one's  thoughts 
naturally  turn  to  our  own,  and  no  wonder  Christmas  is  the 
family  festival. 

"After  the  service  we  sang  the  Te  Deum,  which  was  very 
inspiring  and  solemn.  We  sang  it  to  the  old  Gregorian,  or 
rather  Ambrosian  music,  and  it  added  much  to  one's  devo- 
tion to  feel  that  those  words  and  the  music  to  which  they 
were  set  had  been  in  use  fourteen  hundred  years  in  all  coun- 
tries, and  in  so  many  different  nations,  always  the  identical 
words,  the  evergreen  Latin,  'Te  Deum  Laudamus.'  After 
it  was  over  we  had  some  bouillon  and  bread,  and  then  we 
went  to  bed,  having  had  our  first  taste  of  Christmas,  and  the 
best  part,  too,  I  may  say.  We  were  up  again  for  Mass  at 
seven.  Unfortunately,  it  was  not  a  very  pleasant  day  out 
doors,  but  rather  foggy  and  snowy,  and  we  were  not  tempted 

170 


LETTERS  TO   HIS   MOTHER. 

to  go  out  except  for  a  little  walk.  It  is  real  typical  Girist- 
mas  weather,  with  plenty  of  cold  and  snow,  in  keeping  with 
the  season. 

"I  never  saw  anything  more  beautiful  than  it  is  here  after 
a  snow  storm,  when  the  sun  comes  out.  We  make  our- 
selves useful,  too,  in  shoveling  or  sweeping  the  snow  from 
the  walks,  and  as  we  can  take  more  than  a  half-mile  walk 
round  part  of  the  grounds,  there  is  no  lack  of  employment 
for  our  spare  moments.  It  is  very  healthy  and  good  exer- 
cise, and  freshens  up  the  mind  and  warms  up  the  body.  The 
house  is  kept  very  comfortable  with  open  fires;  some  of  the 
rooms  have  great  old-fashioned  fire  places  with  andirons. 

"The  decorations  have  been  very  tasteful  and  pretty. 
There  was  an  abundance  of  material  on  the  place — enor- 
mous hedges  of  laurel,  great  trees  of  holly,  and  no  end  of 
ivy.  The  hall  ceiling  is  supported  by  columns,  and  round 
each  is  twined  beautiful  thick  ivy  vines,  besides  ropes  of 
laurel  and  holly  from  column  to  column.  You  have  no  idea 
what  a  pretty  effect  of  Bethlehem,  and  the  cave,  and  the 
stable  was  made  by  means  of  brown  paper  and  salt  and 
greens,  together  with  the  figures  of  the  Holy  Family  and 
the  shepherds.  Brown  paper  judiciously  arranged  makes 
splendid  rocks,  salt  does  for  snow,  greens  for  trees,  etc. 
Really  it  is  astonishing  how  realistic  and  pretty  it  is,  and 
costs  nothing  but  a  little  time  and  taste.  It  may  sound  child- 
ish, but  notwithstanding  it  certainly  does  help  one  t<>  reali/e 
the  scene,  and  after  all  what  is  a  picture,  but  canvas,  paint, 
time  and  taste,  or  talent. 

"Christmas  being  a  great  festival,  we  talked  at  table  dur- 
ing dinner,  which  is  very  unusual.  I  am  not  quite  sure  that 
it  is  an  improvement  upon  the  reading  aloud,  but  the  change 
is  pleasant  occasionally. 

171 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

"Saturday  will  be  a  great  day  for  us — Holy  Innocents' 
Day.  We  always  have  a  great  entertainment  on  that  day, 
with  a  seance  in  the  evening  for  our  amusement.  We  are 
spectators,  the  Juniors  provide  the  performance.  One  of 
the  features  of  the  day  is  having  an  Innocent  Beadle.  You 
must  know,  that  the  Beadle  is  a  very  important  person ;  he 
is  a  novice  put  in  charge  of  the  others,  and  has  to  make  out 
all  the  notices,  give  all  the  orders  for  the  different  exercises 
of  the  day,  ring  the  bells  for  beginning  and  ending  every 
duty,  answer  all  questions,  give  out  whatever  is  wanted, 
pens,  ink,  soap,  in  fact  do  any  and  everything.  You  may 
imagine  that  it  is  not  a  sinecure ;  indeed,  the  man  who  is 
selected  for  this  office  must  be  a  very  holy  and  superior 
novice  to  exercise  these  duties  with  patience,  and  gentleness, 
and  recollection.  Well,  on  Holy  Innocents'  day  his  duties 
are  suspended,  and  all  of  us  draw  for  the  Innocent  Beadle 
of  the  day;  those  who  escape  the  doubtful  honor  amuse 
themselves  by  tormenting  the  unfortunate  Innocent,  who. 
however,  can  revenge  himself  by  giving  some  unpleasant 
job  to  his  tormentors.  I  hope  it  may  not  fall  to  my  lot,  al- 
though of  course  it  is  only  fun  and  everything  is  done  con 
am  ore. 

"I  must  close  with  warmest  Christmas  greetings  to  every- 
body. "Your  devoted  son, 

"HARRY/' 

"MANRESA  HOUSE, 

"ROEHAMPTON, 

"Feast  of  the  Purification,  1879. 
"My  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"This  is  a  good  day  on  which  to  write  a  letter  to  you,  the 
Feast  when  the  Blessed  Virgin,  publicly  in  the  Temple, 

172 


LETTERS  TO   HIS   MOTHER. 

offered  her  Divine  Son  to  His  Eternal  Father.  Up  to  this 
time  all  had  taken  place  as  it  were  in  private,  the  birth  in 
the  stable,  the  circumcision  in  the  house,  the  worship  of  the 
shepherds  and  the  Magi,  but  to-day  He  was  presented  in  the 
Temple  and  declared  to  be  The  Light  to  lighten  the  Gen- 
tiles and  the  Glory  of  His  people  Israel' — and  Simeon  could 
say,  'My  eyes  have  seen  the  Salvation,'  which  was  to  be 
wrought  by  this  wonderful-  child  of  promise. 

"What  a  beautiful  picture!  The  Holy  Family,  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  holding  her  Divine  Son  in  her  arms,  St. 
Joseph  carrying,  probably,  the  modest  offering  of  the  doves, 
and  the  Priest  who  was  to  receive,  as  minister  of  the  Most 
High  God,  God  the  Son  Incarnate.  Then  Simeon  and  Anna, 
prophesying  and  thanking  God  for  the  signal  favor  they 
had  received  in  l>eing  allowed  to  live  long  enough  to  see  the 
desire  of  Israel.  At  first  sight  we  wonder  why  the  Blessed 
Virgin  did  not  offer  the  lamb,  and  then  we  think  that  she 
did  indeed  offer  the  I*atnb  of  G<xl.  that  taketh  away  the  sins 
of  the  world — the  type  would  have  been  out  of  place  in  the 
presence  of  the  antitype.  Then,  too,  she  would  set  us  an 
example  of  humility  and  poverty.  She.  the  princess  of  the 
House  of  David,  makes  the  offering  of  the  poor,  though 
doubtless  she  had  gold  which  had  been  presented  by  the 
Magi.  But  she  teaches  us  a  deeper  lesson  of  humility  by 
the  very  act  of  purification.  She  was  not  under  the  I -aw : 
she,  who  had  conceived  by  the  power  and  the  overshadowing 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  could  not  be  held  by  the  law  made  for 
those  who  were  mothers  in  the  natural  way.  However,  she 
does  not  avail  herself  of  her  privileges,  but  consents  to  act  in 
obedience  to  the  commandments  of  the  I -aw. 

"To  any  chance  worshiper  in  the  Temple  this  little  party 
may  have  appeared  very  ordinary,  poor  and  unworthy  of 

173 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

attention,  yet  they  were  God  the  Son,  His  Mother,  and  His 
foster-father  and  the  protector  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary. 
So  it  was  all  through  Our  Lord's  earthly  life.  He  did  not 
command  the  respect,  and  attention,  and  love  of  the  people; 
only  a  few  chosen  ones  here  and  there  could  pierce  the  veil 
and  see  beneath  the  human  form  the  Divine  Person.  So  on 
Calvary,  only  the  eye  of  Faith  can  recognize  God.  His 
Mother  and  with  her  another  protector,  St.  John,  for  St. 
Joseph's  work  was  ended,  and  he  had  gone  to  his  rest  in  the 
arms  of  Jesus  and  Mary.  Did  you  ever  wonder  how  you 
would  have  acted  had  you  been  present  in  the  Temple  at  the 
time  of  the  presentation?  I  am  afraid  most  of  us  would 
have  turned  away  from  such  an  humble  party.  We  are  so 
accustomed  to  think  of  Our  Lord  as  God,  that  we  fail  to 
realize  His  humanity  and  His  humility.  We  are  shocked  at 
anything  poor  and  common,  at  least  our  feeling  is  one  of 
compassion  and  condescension.  Well,  as  Our  Lord's  life 
on  earth  was  marvellous,  so  is  it  now  in  the  Sacrament  of 
the  Most  Holy  Eucharist.  As  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  says  in 
his  hymn: — 

Sight  and  touch  and  taste. 

May  naught  of  Him  discern. 
But  the  soul  that  hearkens. 

Can  the  mystery  learn. 
On  the  Cross  Thy  Godhead 

Only  was  concealed. 
Here,  not  e'en  Thy  manhood. 

Is  to  sight  revealed. 
But  in  both  believing 

And  confessing.  Lord, 
Ask  I  what  the  dying 
Thief  of  Thee  implored. 
174 


LETTERS   TO   HIS   MOTHER. 

I  do  not,  like  Thomas, 

See  Thy  wounds  appear, 
But  with  him  confess 

My  Lord  and  God  is  here. 

"What  a  wonderful  gift  faith  is,  and  how  impossible  to 
l>elieve  anything-  without  it;  everything  is  so  full  of  mys- 
tery, yet  it  is  not  until  we  try  to  explain  that  we  realize  the 
depths  of  mystery.  We  really  believe  simply  because  we 
start  with  the  principle  that  God  is  omnipotent,  and  that 
nothing  that  does  not  contradict  His  attributes  is  beyond 
His  power.  And  so  it  is  as  easy  for  Him  to  manifest  Him- 
self under  the  veils  of  bread  and  wine  as  to  manifest  Him- 
self in  the  body  He  took  in  the  womb  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
To  say  that  it  is  impossible  is  to  deny  His  omnipotence. 

"I  have  written  quite  a  dissertation,  haven't  I?  but  it  is 
hard  to  think  of  Our  Lord  under  one  form  without  l>eing 
carried  away  to  the  other,  the  one  under  which  we  now  with 
eyes  of  faith  see  Him.  It  is  a  great  privilege  to  know  Our 
Lord  now  by  the  light  of  faith,  to  receive  in  Holy  Com- 
munion Him  whom  we  shall  see  face  to  face  when  faith 
shall  become  sight.  In  the  meantime  don't  let  us  deceive 
ourselves  by  saying,  I  can't  IxMieve  because  I  can't  see.  If 
we  could  see  it  would  not  be  faith. 

"We  have  had  the  last  of  the  Feasts  of  the  Incarnation 
now,  and  I^ent  will  soon  l>e  coming  with  the  new  phase  of 
Our  Lord's  life.  Surely  we  ought  to  pray  like  Him  when 
we  have  always  His  life  set  Ixrforc  us  as  an  example  to 
follow.  But  I  must  be  closing  now.  I  enjoy  your  letters 
very  much,  my  dearest  mother.  .  .  , 

"Your  devoted  son. 

"HARRY." 
175 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

"MANRESA  HOUSE, 

"ROEHAMPTON, 

"March  12,  1879. 
DEAREST  MOTHER: 
"It  is  quite  a  time  since  I  wrote  last,  certainly  not  this 
month ;  but  I  have  been  kept  so  busy  that  I  could  not  man- 
age it.  As  I  told  you  in  my  last,  I  have  been  Refectorian, 
and  my  offices  lasted  a  month.  For  two  weeks  I  was  third 
assistant  and  then  promoted  to  first,  which  is  much  more  re- 
sponsible. I  had  no  leisure  at  all  to  speak  of ;  none  for  writ- 
ing letters,  for  one  always  has  certain  odds  and  ends  that 
can't  be  put  off.  Upon  the  whole,  now  that  once  more  I  am 
comparatively  free,  I  rather  enjoyed  being  in  the  refectory. 
It  is  a  complete  change,  as  one  does  not  follow  the  ordinary 
exercises,  but  devotes  all  one's  attention  to  the  preparation 
for  meals.  But  do  not  think  by  this  that  we  spend  all  our 
time  eating.  There  are  only  the  ordinary  three  meals  a  day, 
with  the  addition  of  coffee  at  5  o'clock  to  brighten  us  up  a 
little  for  our  meditation  at  6.  Meditations  are  never  dis- 
pensed with ;  there  is  always  the  hour  in  the  morning",  the 
half-hour  in  the  evening,  and  the  usual  quarter-hour  at  mid- 
day and  at  night  for  the  examination  of  conscience  to  see 
what  falls  we  have  had  and  what  progress  we  have  made, 
and  to  make  resolutions  for  the  future.  Every  one  has  to 
allow  full  time  to  these,  and  to  Mass  in  the  morning  and 
Litanies  in  the  evening;  so  you  see  no  matter  what  office 
one  has,  the  most  important  spiritual  duties  are  always  in- 
sisted upon.  Besides  this,  for  half  an  hour  before  supper 
the  first  Refectorian  reads  aloud  for  the  lay  brothers  in  the 
kitchen  from  some  life  of  a  saint,  or  chapters  of  the  Imita- 
tion of  Christ,  while  they  are  busy  peeling  apples,  cutting 
toast,  etc.  It  was  always  a  very  pleasant  half  hour.  I  used 

176 


LETTERS   TO   HIS   MOTHER. 

to  get  very  much  flurried  at  first  in  my  office,  but  the  last 
week  I  got  quite  accustomed  to  it.  It  is  rather  trying,  as 
you  have  so  many  bothering  you  at  the  same  time.  For  in- 
stance, in  the  morning  about  ten  novices  are  sent  down  to 
help  you,  and  you  have  to  assign  each  a  task  and  see  that 
they  do  it  properly.  They  only  stay  twenty  minutes  and  do 
only  part  of  the  work,  and  then  you  and  your  regular  assist- 
ants have  to  supply  all  deficiencies,  which  is  sometimes  more 
troublesome  than  if  you  did  the  whole  thing  yourself.  At 
meals  I  had  to  stand  at  a  large  table  just  outside  the  refec- 
tory door  and  give  out  all  the  dishes  which  came  from  the 
kitchen  on  a  kind  of  turnstyle,  a  one-storied  dumb  waiter; 
see  that  the  servers  got  the  right  dishes  and  then  pile  up  all 
the  plates  as  they  were  brought  out  used,  collecting  the 
knives,  forks  and  spoons,  and  putting  them  into  partitions 
in  a  box  to  be  washed  and  then  sending  the  plates  to  the 
scullery.  When  sixty  sit  down  to  a  meal,  a  good  deal  lias  to 
pass  through  your  hands.  But  this  is  not  all,  for  as  soon  as 
the  first  dinner  is  over,  three  minutes  are  allowed  to  prepare 
the  tables  for  a  second  dinner  of  thirty  people.  This  has  to 
be  done  in  an  awful  hurry-scurry,  and  then  1  sit  down  to  this 
second  meal.  Such  are  the  principal  points  of  what  I  have 
l>een  undergoing,  and  you  can  imagine  that  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  anxiety  lest  something  l>e  forgotten,  and  it  is  quite  a 
relief  to  be  once  more  at  the  usual  routine,  in  comparative 
quiet,  and  with  some  spare  moments. 

"I  had  a  task  given  me  directly  after  my  time  in  the  re- 
fectory, for  my  turn  came  to  give  a  tone  or  short  sermon 
before  the  novices.  The  text  was,  'That  no  man  overreach 
or  circumvent  his  brother  in  business.'  It  is  rather  a  diffi- 
cult text,  and  I  had  only  a  short  time  to  prepare,  as  the 
warning  is  given  on  Sunday  morning  to  preach  on  Monday, 

"  177 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

with  only  the  spare  moments  to  prepare  for  the  ordeal.  It 
has  to  be  extempore  and  I  got  very  much  confused  and 
nervous,  but  I  managed  to  scramble  through  with  two  awful 
pauses.  But  enough  of  myself ;  too  much,  I  fear. 

"Your  devoted  son, 

"HARRY." 

"MANRESA  HOUSE, 

"ROEHAMPTON, 

"Feast  of  the  Annunciation,  1879. 
"Mv  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"  .  .  .  I  am  glad  the  cold  weather  is  on  the  wane,  as 
it  is  trying  in  Lent.  They  take  great  .care  of  us,  and  do  not 
allow  any  extravagances  in  fasting.  Every  one  has  to  con- 
sult the  doctor  to  see  if  he  have  strength ;  if  not,  only  a  little 
mortification  of  one's  appetite,  which  couldn't  hurt  anyone, 
is  permitted. 

"The  season  has  gone,  so  far,  very  quickly,  and  Holy 
Week  will  soon  be  here.  I  expect  to  enjoy  it  very  much,  as 
we  shall  have  interesting  services  in  our  chapel  and  plenty 
of  singing.  I  have  been  promoted  to  singing  in  the  choir, 
which  adds  much  to  my  pleasure,  and  we  have  been  busily 
practising  for  some  time  for  the  Holy  Week  services.  I 
should  like  you  to  hear  them,  for  they  are  very  well  done. 
I  am  one  of  the  basses,  and  it  is  interesting  to  sing  a  part 
and  quite  a  novelty  for  me,  as  I  have  been  accustomed  to 
having  it  all  my  own  way. 

"What  a  beautiful  feast  to-day  is,  and  yet,  not  coming  on 
a  Sunday,  it  does  not  receive  as  much  attention  as  it  de- 
serves ;  for  what  is  the  festival  of  the  Annunciation  but  the 
beginning  of  the  Incarnation  of  Our  Lord?  We  are  apt  to 
think  of  it  as  the  time  when  the  announcement  was  made  to 

178 


LETTERS   TO   HIS   MOTHER. 

the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  to  forget  that  when  she  gave  her 
consent  and  said,  'Be  it  done  unto  me  according  to  Thy 
word,'  immediately  the  Holy  Ghost  overshadowed  her,  and 
she  conceived  and  became  the  Mother  of  God.  I  know  that 
I  myself  never  used  to  connect  Our  Lord's  conception  with 
the  Annunciation ;  in  fact  I  never  used  to  think  very  much 
about  it,  and  only  contented  myself  with  generalities  and 
did  not  realize  as  much  of  the  mystery  as  is  possible  for  us 
and  which  we  are  bound  to  do.  For  what  can  be  of  greater 
importance  and  interest  to  Christians  than  all  that  is  con- 
nected with  the  life  of  Our  Lord  on  the  earth,  and  His  death 
and  risen  life?  All  these  are  mentioned  in  the  beautiful 
collect  of  the  feast,  which  is  used  by  us  three  times  a  day 
at  the  Angclus,  as  I  remember  telling  you,  as  the  memorial 
of  the  Incarnation. 

"I  think  I  said  in  my  last  letter  that  I  am  no  longer  in  the 
refectory,  but  have  no  office  at  present,  taking  things  easy. 
The  object,  you  know,  of  offices  is  not  to  get  work  out  of 
us.  but  to  teach  us  to  be  able  to  do  anything  useful,  and  to 
learn  how  to  manage  for  oneself  if  in  command,  or  how  to 
oliey  if  under  another. 

"Your  devoted  son. 

"HARRY." 

"MANRKSA  HOUSE. 

"ROEHAICPTON, 

"Easter  Monday.  April  i:t.  187l». 
"Mv  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"I  will  begin  by  wishing  you  all  the  Kaster  joys,  and 
what  joys  can  compare  with  them?  Not  even  Christmas 
can  equal  Easter,  for  it  is  the  concq>tion  of  what  was  begun 
at  Christmas,  and  is  the  pledge  of  our  own  resurrection. 

179 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

Lent  has  passed  rather  quickly,  the  last  week  especially,  be- 
cause we  were  very  busy  preparing  for  the  musical  part  of 
the  services.  Everything  went  off  very  successfully,  the 
music  was  well  rendered  and  was  well  chosen.  On  Wednes- 
day, Thursday  and  Friday  we  had  the  Tenebrae,  which  con- 
sists of  a  beautiful  selection  of  Psalms  and  Antiphons,  to- 
gether with  lessons  and  the  lamentations  of  Jeremiah,  with 
appropriate  responses.  Everything  was  sung  without  ac- 
companiment, the  responses  and  antiphons  in  harmony,  as 
well  as  the  'Benedictus'  and  the  'Miserere.'  At  the  close  of 
the  service  the  choir  sang  an  anthem,  'Christ  was  made  obe- 
dient unto  death,'  which  was  very  touching.  On  Maundy 
Thursday  we  had  a  fine  service  in  commemoration  of  the 
Institution  of  the  Holy  Eucharist.  On  Good  Friday  we 
went  to  our  church  in  London  for  the  Three  Hours'  service 
between  12  and  3.  The  time  passed  so  quickly  that  I  could 
scarcely  believe  that  we  had  been  really  three  hours  in 
church.  One  reason  was  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
variety,  and  we  were  not  kept  long  in  any  one  position. 
The  choir  would  sing  an  anthem,  and  then  an  address  on 
one  of  the  seven  last  words  of  Our  Lord  would  follow,  then 
some  prayers,  with  responses  by  the  people.  It  was  very  im- 
pressive and  devotional.  There  were  no  drawbacks,  every- 
thing went  smoothly  and  we  were  most  punctual,  going  in 
as  the  clock  struck  twelve  and  coming  out  exactly  at  three. 
There  was  an  overflowing  congregation,  who  were  most  at- 
tentive and  stayed  right  through  from  beginning  to  end. 
Yesterday  we  went  again  to  our  church,  in  Farm  Street,  for 
Vespers,  and  had  a  beautiful  service.  One  feels  on  Easter 
day  inclined  to  shout  for  joy. 

"We  are  taking  things  easy  this  week:  at  least  we  are 
supposed  to  do  so,  but  there  is  a  great  deal  of  walking, 

180 


LETTERS  TO   HIS   MOTHER. 

which  sometimes  is  more  tiring  than  anything  else.  I  have 
come  out  from  Lent  in  the  best  possible  health,  without  a 
cold  or  an  ache.  The  weather  is  cold  and  disagreeable  for 
this  season.  .  .  . 

"It  is  a  consolation  that  after  all  we  can  be  so  near  in 
spirit  and  thought  to  those  we  love,  as  to  imagine  almost 
exactly  what  is  taking  place  even  three  thousand  miles  away, 
for  we  can  travel  over  sj>ace  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 
Hereafter  when  we  shall  have  glorified  bodies  at  the  resur- 
rection, even  our  bodies  will  overcome  all  the  obstacles  that 
now  keep  us  confined,  just  as  Our  Lord  could  pass  through 
the  sealed  stone  of  the  sepulchre  or  the  closed  doors  of  the 
upper  chamber  where  the  Apostles  were  assembled.  In  the 
meanwhile  it  is  a  comfort  to  lx?  able  to  be  so  near  one  an- 
other in  spirit. 

"With  best  love  and  Easter  greetings  to  all, 

"I  am  your  devoted  son. 

"H.  V.  R." 

"MANRESA  HOUSE, 

"ROEHAMPTONT. 
"I^onclon.  S.W.,  May  7,  1879. 
"Mv  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"...  I  hope  you  have  l>een  more  fortunate  in  weather 
than  we  have  been,  for  May  has  not,  so  far,  deserved  its 
name  at  all,  but  is  much  more  like  March,  altho*  we  had 
our  full  share  of  March  winds  too.  The  famous  east  wind 
has  lx?en  blowing  pretty  steadily  even  this  month.  Every- 
thing in  consequence  is  dreadfully  backward:  the  trees  have 
only  begun  to  bud  this  last  week,  but  unfortunately  there 
have  been  little  flurries  of  hail  and  snow  which  will  injure 
the  blossoms  of  the  fruit  trees  which  have  just  struggled 

181 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 
*  • 

out.  The  cuckoo  has  been  singing  that  springtime  is  near, 
but  this  year  he  has  been  mistaken.  We  have  a  cuckoo 
living  close  to  the  house;  in  fact,  there  are  birds  of  all  kinds 
in  the  neighborhood  and  they  furnish  plenty  of  music.  In 
summer  there  are  nightingales,  they  say,  but  they  are  such 
late  birds,  and  we  such  early  ones,  that  I  doubt  if  we  ever 
hear  them.  They  don't  begin  to  sing  until  ten,  and  about 
that  time  we  begin  to  snore. 

"Our  life  here  is  so  regular  that  one  week  is  very  like  an- 
other unless  some  feast  day  happens  to  break  the  monotony 
— monotony  I  mean  in  a  good  sense  and  not  tedium. 

"I  took  a  long  walk  on  Sunday  afternoon  to  hear  Ves- 
pers at  the  Carmelite  Church.  It  must  have  been  nearly 
twelve  miles  altogether,  but  it  was  a  very  pleasant  day, 
warm  and  sunny,  and  the  road  rather  a  pretty  one,  and  I 
had  a  chance  to  rest  during  the  service.  I  feel  at  home  in 
that  church  particularly,  because  I  know  one  of  the  Fathers, 
and  used  to  go  there  last  year.  They  have  a  foreign  con* 
gregation,  and  a  good  many  of  the  diplomats  and  others 
attend." 

"May  9th. 

"I  had  to  stop  and  have  not  had  a  chance  to  finish  until 
now,  when  I  have  a  few  minutes.  I  have  been  busy  pre- 
paring for  a  catechising  which  I  had  to  give  before  the 
novices  and  one  of  the  Fathers.  My  subject  was  Confirma- 
tion, and  I  primed  myself  thoroughly  so  that  I  got  through 
very  well,  only  being  criticized  as  being  too  learned  and 
giving  too  many  authorities.  It  is  rather  hard  to  treat  as 
children  grown  men  who  know  as  much  about  the  subject 
as  you  do  yourself.  And  yet  that  is  what  we  are  supposed 
to  do  in  order  to  get  a  facility  in  asking  questions  as  simply 

182 


as  possible  and  to  explain  in  short  and  easy  words.  Usuaiiy 
a  story  of  some  kind  is  told  to  enliven  the  young  ones.  We 
get  another  chance  at  story-telling  every  evening,  for  there 
is  always  a  pious  story  with  a  good  moral  at  our  recreation 
and  each  one  has  his  turn.  I  told  one  very  apropos  the 
other  evening. 

"We  are  all  busy  this  month  in  preparing  sermons,  as 
each  one  has  to  preach  before  the  community  at  supper 
time.  As  many  of  the  novices  seem  to  be  trusting  mainiy 
to  books,  I  selected  an  instance  in  St.  Vincent  Ferrer's  life. 
He  was  a  great  Dominican  preacher  and  missionary,  and  a 
very  holy  man.  One  day  he  was  told  that  a  distinguished 
nobleman  was  coming  to  hear  him  preach.  The  saint  usually 
relied  principally  upon  prayer  for  his  sermons,  but  on  this 
occasion,  departing  from  his  custom,  he  gave  the  time  to 
extra  study.  The  consequence  was  that  he  did  not  preach 
as  well  as  usual,  and  the  nobleman  went  home  disappointed. 
However,  he  went  another  time  unannounced  and  was  de- 
lighted. This  was  told  St.  Vincent,  who  replied:  'No 
wonder,  for  the  first  time  he  heard  Vincent  preach,  but  this 
time  it  was  Jesus  Christ,  Himself.'  It  is  a  pretty  anecdote, 
is  it  not  ?  But  I  must  stop.  With  best  love  for  everybody 
and  most  for  yourself, 

"Ever  your  devoted  son, 

"HARRY." 

"MANRESA  HOUSE, 

"ROEHAMPTON, 

"August  17, 1879. 
"Mv  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"Many  happy  returns  of  your  birthday;  not  such  happi- 
ness as  the  world  can  give  or  appreciate,  but  true  and  solid, 

183 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

which  can  come  from  God  alone,  and  which  consists  in 
growing  in  the  deeper  knowledge  of  Our  Lord  and  of  the 
end  for  which  we  were  created — to  serve,  praise  and  rever- 
ence Him.  Few  people,  when  really  brought  face  to  face 
with  this  truth,  will  deny  it,  but"  at  the  same  time  they  do 
practically  deny  or  at  least  ignore  it.  Look  at  their  lives, 
how  perfectly  aimless  they  seem,  unless  one  can  call  that  the 
aim  of  their  life  to  which  they  devote  most  of  their  time, 
energy,  attention  and  money.  And  what  a  waste  of  time  it 
will  seem  to  them  when  they  are  called  upon  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  their  lives.  Vanity  of  vanities,  indeed !  Yet,  with 
the  best  of  intentions,  how  hard  it  is  for  us  to  keep  really 
before  our  eyes  the  object  of  our  being!  We  so  crave  after 
happiness  that  we  practically  do  make  it  our  aim,  and  so  in 
the  real  sense  it  is  happiness,  but  only  that  which  comes 
from  doing  God's  will  as  well  as  we  can.  What  happiness, 
what  satisfaction,  when  we  can  say  and  feel  after  some- 
thing we  have  done,  that  our  intention  was  purely  God's 
glory !  Too  often  some  vanity,  self-seeking  or  other  motive 
has  crept  in  to  take  away  the  merit  of  the  action,  or  at  least 
tarnish  its  lustre.  The  greater  glory  of  God  is  our  motto, 
this  the  object,  the  summing  up  of  our  lives.  This  will  be 
the  standard  by  which  we  shall  be  judged,  and  is  it  not  a 
glorious  one,  too?  The  glory  of  God,  who  laid  aside  the 
glory  which  he  had  with  His  Father  before  the  creation  of 
the  world.  He  abased  Himself  and  we  must  exalt  Him. 
He  led  the  way  and  we  must  follow  Him;  the  way  of  the 
cross  is  the  only  way  that  leads  to  true  happiness.  We  may 
have 'the  cross  laid  upon  us  or  we  may  take  it  upon  our- 
selves of  our  own  accord.  It  is  a  great  consolation  for  those 
whose  lot  lies  in  home  duties,  to  think  of  Our  Lord's  life  at 
Nazareth  with  His  Mother  and  St.  Joseph.  What  quiet 

184 


and  apparently  uneventful  lives  they  led  for  thirty  years; 
to  human  eyes  St.  Joseph  seemed  only  the  carpenter:  the 
Mother  of  God  only  his  wife;  and  Our  Lord  Himself  only 
the  carpenter's  son.  Truly  it  matters  very  little  what  the 
world  thinks  of  us,  what  opinion  it  passes  upon  us.  We 
are  living  not  for  it  and  its  judgment,  nor  can  it  appreciate 
pure  motives.  So  it  often  happens  that  those  who  are  con- 
sidered unfortunate  are  very  far  from  being  so;  for  the 
trials  they  have  undergone  have  been  so  many  means  of 
grace,  means  of  bringing  them  nearer  their  Divine  Model, 
who  was  the  Man  of  Sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief. 
Really,  one's  own  experience  tells  one  that  frequently  in 
penitential  seasons  of  the  Church  we  have  more  true  peace 
and  comfort  than  at  the  greater  festivals,  which  often  bring 
with  them  dissipation  of  heart,  and  wje  do  not  feel  as  near 
Our  I^ord  as  when  kneeling  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross.  Then 
we  throw  ourselves,  as  it  were,  upon  Him  for  support,  for 
we  feel  our  weakness  and  need  His  sympathy,  and  with 
such  dispositions  we  can  never  fail  to  touch  His  Sacred 
Heart  ever  open  to  the  sighs  of  His  children. 

"I  wish  that  I  could  drop  in  upon  you  now  and  then  to 
have  a  little  chat.  letters  are  so  unsatisfactory;  one  never 
says  what  one  wants  to,  but  very  often  just  the  reverse.  I 
hope  I  have  not  done  so  this  time.  At  any  rate  you  will  un- 
derstand me  aright.  You  are  always  much  in  my  thoughts. 
With  l>est  wishes.  I  am,  my  dearest  mother. 
"Your  devoted  son. 

"HENRY  VAN*  RKXSSF.I.AER." 


185 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN    RENSSELAER 

"MANRESA  HOUSE, 

"ROEHAMPTON, 

"November  16. 1879. 
"Mv  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"..  .  .  Last  Thursday  was  a  great  day  with  us — the 
feast  of  our  Patron,  St.  Stanislaus  Kostka.  He  is  the  patron 
saint  of  all  novices,  because  he  died  a  novice,  when  he  was 
only  eighteen  years  old.  As  the  Church  says  of  him  in  the 
collect  of  his  day,  Almighty  God  had  bestowed  on  him  in 
tender  youth  the  grace  of  mature  sanctity.  He  is  the  Patron 
of  Poland,  and  one  of  the  most  popular  saints,  especially 
among  the  young.  I  daresay  you  recollect  seeing  some 
frescoes  representing  scenes  in  his  life  in  our  Church  in 
Montreal. 

"It  was  a  day  for  long  walks — sunny,  though  cold.  Bro. 
Sherman  and  another  and  I  thought  we  should  spend  our 
morning  profitably  by  paying  a  visit  to  Nazareth  House,  a 
home  for  aged  men  and  women  and  homeless  children.  It 
is  under  the  care  of  Sisters  very  like  the  Little  Sisters  of 
the  Poor.  We  were  delighted  with  everything  we  saw, 
were  very  kindly  received,  and  the  Mother  General  of  the 
Order  showed  us  all  over  the  establishment.  Everything 
was  in  the  most  exquisite  order.  Each  bed  had  a  many- 
colored  patch-work  spread  and  looked  comfortable  and 
cheery.  The  old  people  said  that  nothing  could  exceed  the 
kindness  of  the  Sisters,  and  there  were  some  Protestants 
who  told  me  the  same.  The  Sisters,  many  of  them  of  good 
family,  do  all  the  work  themselves,  and  live  entirely  on  what 
they  get  by  alms.  Their  food  consists  of  scraps  which  they 
beg.  One  cannot  imagine  happier,  more  contented  and 
gayer  people  than  these  Sisters,  who  are  brimful  of  charity 
and  zeal.  There  were  children  either  idiotic  or  nearly  so, 

IbU 


D 


n 


n 


yi 


KI.IZ.XIIKTII    RAY    KIX<,. 
MOTIIKR   <>l     RKX      IIKNKV    V  XX    RKXSSKI.AKR 


LETTERS  TO   HIS   MOTHER. 

but  I  was  glad  to  see  them  in  such  a  home.  We  went  away 
very  much  edified,  and  thankful  that  there  are  so  many  de- 
voted people  who  were  glad  to  leave  the  world  and  what  it 
can  give  in  the  way  of  pleasures,  and  live  a  life  of  hard 
work  and  service  for  the  bodies  of  others  that  they  may  save 
their  souls.  When  we  got  back  to  Manresa  House  we  had 
a  panegyric  of  our  Saint  by  one  of  the  novices;  then  came 
Benediction  and  afterwards  dinner  with  conversation.  In 
the  evening  there  was  a  seance  in  which  the  choir  figured 
by  singing  several  glees.  Brother  Sherman  composed  and 
read  a  very  pretty  poem  on  the  bell  which  announces  our 
duties.  As  he  had  the  office  of  ringing  it  as  beadle  not  long 
ago,  he  could  speak  feelingly.  There  were  some  other 
poems  and  readings,  and  altogether  we  enjoyed  ourselves 
very  much.  The  choir  have  been  kept  very  busy  of  late 
getting  ready  the  glees  for  the  seance,  and  besides  that  we 
sing  Vespers  in  our  own  chapel  every  Sunday  afternoon; 
we  have  also  to  prepare  new  music  for  Christmas,  which 
will  be  upon  us  before  we  know  it. 

"Love  to  everybody,  much  for  yourself, 

"Your  devoted  son, 

"H.  V.  R." 

"MANRESA  HOUSE, 

"ROEHAMPTON,  S.  W., 

"April  22,  1880. 
"Mv  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"The  weeks  have  l>een  slipping  by  so  quickly  and  un- 
eventfully that  I  can  hardly  keep  any  track  of  my  letters. 
We  are  having  most  lovely  weather  now,  for  it  is  full 
spring.  The  country  is  delightful.  How  thankful  I  am  to 
be  able  to  enjoy  it !  With  all  the  helps  that  the  beauties  of 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

nature  give,  one  ought  to  live  more  in  God's  presence  in  the 
country  than  in  the  city.  Everything  is  so  peaceful  and 
fitted  to  raising  one's  thoughts  from  earth  to  heaven,  yet  I 
doubt  if  country  people  are  as  religious  as  the  city  people; 
perhaps  the  latter  feel  more  need  of  God's  help  than  the 
others ;  still  we  cannot  help  feeling  how  weak  man  is  when 
we  see  the  changes  of  nature.  What  can  he  do?  Nothing; 
not  even  force  a  blade  of  grass  to  grow ;  and  so  a  lesson  of 
humility  is  preached  by  every  blade  of  grass  and  every  tinv 
flower.  But  it  is  a  lesson  we  do  not  heed,  it  is  so  contrary 
to  our  wishes  and  inclinations.  We  make  up  our  mind  to 
praise  and  admire  humility  as  a  virtue;  when,  however,  it 
is  urged  upon  us,  we  rebel.  Why  is  it  that  so  many  thou- 
sands who  call  themselves  Christians,  and  profess  to  be  fol- 
lowers of  the  Crucified,  cannot  bear  the  sight  of  a  picture 
which  represents  Our  Lord  crucified,  much  less  a  carved 
crucifix?  It  is  simply  because  it  pictures  to  them  too  readily 
and  vividly  what  their  Captain  and  Leader  has  done  and 
suffered,  and  what  He  expects  of  them.  They  are  not  pre- 
pared for  any  such  imitation  of  Christ  as  this.  They  do  not 
object  to  reading  about  it,  but  that  is  enough.  You  see  how 
a  blade  of  grass  has  carried  me  off.  Still,  we  can  never 
think  enough  about  our  own  weakness  and  what  should 
arise  out  of  the  consideration  of  it — what  we  should  be, 
humble  and  ready  to  accept  what  Almighty  God  proposes 
to  us. 

"What  a  dreadful  state  of  things  in  France !  One  must 
always  hope  for  a  turn  of  the  scales,  there  are  so  many  ups 
and  downs  in  that  changeable  country.  I  am  glad  there  is 
such  a  unity  of  action  among  all  the  religious  orders  and  all 
the  bishops ;  they  realize  the  truth  that  it  is  religion  that  is 
being  attacked  and  not  any  one  order  in  the  Church.  It  is 

188 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

certainly  a  strange  Republic  where  there  is  no  freedom.  We 
have  had  some  very  good  music  lately,  though  I  say  it  who 
shouldn't,  being  in  the  choir.  We  have  been  singing  one  of 
Gounod's  masses.  We  also  had  a  seance  in  honor  of  the 
Provincial,  who  has  been  making  his  visitation.  We  sang 
The  Storm.'  To-day,  the  23d,  is  St.  George's  Day,  and  is 
a  holiday,  which  gives  me  a  chance  of  writing.  I  have  also 
a  sermon  on  hand  which  I  must  preach  on  the  12th  of  May. 
My  ideas  do  not  flow  as  I  should  like.  I  wish  you  would 
get  'Christian  Schools  and  Scholars.'  It  is  a  charming 
book,  giving  an  excellent  and  pleasant  picture  of  the  early 
and  middle  age  Christianity.  It  is  not  a  controversial  work 
at  all,  merely  historical.  They  are  really  dark  ages  because 
most  people  know  so  little  about  them,  but  it  is  astonish- 
ing to  find  how  bright  the  true  light  shone  in  those  rude 
times.  .  ,  ." 

"Ever  your  devoted  son, 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER." 

Van  Rensselaer's  stay  in  England  was  drawing  to  a  close 
Under  the  strict  discipline  of  the  novitiate,  he  had  become  a 
new  man  with  new  ideals,  new  aspirations,  new  impulses, 
and  new  ways  of  thinking  and  acting.  This  mental  and 
spiritual  development,  or  rather  transformation,  is  shown  in 
a  letter  written  while  still  a  first  year  novice:— 

"The  time  is  slipping  away,  a  time  of  much  grace.  The 
saying  is,  that  the  height  of  sanctity  to  which  we  aspire  in 
the  noviceship  will  be  the  highest  to  which  we  shall  ever 
aspire  in  after  life;  so  we  must  aim  now  at  nothing  short  of 
l>eing  saints,  however  impossible  that  may  now  seem.  After 
all,  what  is  a  saint  but  one  who  so  fully  corresponds  to  the 

180 


LETTERS'  TO   HIS   MOTHER. 

grace  given  him  that  he  merits  more  and  more?  It  is  simply 
acting  up  to  our  vocation  and  the  abundant  graces  given  to 
us.  'Pensons  au  ciel  et  nous  aurons  le  courage  d'etre  fideles 
a  Dieu  quoiqu'il  en  coute.'  This  motto  was  on  a  signet  that 
a  fellow-pilgrim  to  Paray-le-Monial  gave  me,  and  if  we  did 
but  keep  the  end  in  view,  all  would  seem  very  plain." 

The  progress  he  made  in  the  knowledge  and  practice  of 
spiritual  things  was  such  that  he  could  now  be  entrusted 
with  the  guidance  of  other  souls,  and  in  the  last  letter  from 
Roehampton,  he  writes  enthusiastically  of  a  work  of  this 
nature  committed  to  his  charge. 

"May,  1880. 

"I  have  a  delightful  task  at  present,  to  unfold  the  reli- 
gious life  to  two  lay-brother  postulants ;  they  are  both  con- 
verts of  two  years'  standing,  but  totally  unlike;  both  very 
good,  and  earnest,  and  teachable.  It  is  most  humiliating  to 
speak  to  them  of  high  ideals  and  perfection,  and  then  to 
realize  how  far  short  one  is  oneself.  But  it  is  most  inspirit- 
inging  to  feel  that  one  is  really  helping  others.  I  have  had 
a  great  increase  of  love  for  the  Spiritual  Exercises  of  St. 
Ignatius.  I  have  been  reading  the  life  of  Father  de  Ponle- 
voy,  the  author  of  de  Ravignan's  life,  and  his  intimate 
friend.  They  were  both  men  of  the  Exercises;  everything 
they  did  or  said  was  influenced  by  them.  This  is  my  aim. 
as  it  should  be  that  of  every  Jesuit.  Father  Morris  has  been 
a  great  help  to  me.  He  has  been  away  for  two  weeks  giving 
a  mission  at  Arundel.  His  place  was  taken  by  Father  Pur- 
brick,  for  many  years  Rector  of  Stonyhurst.  He  is  a  con- 
vert, an  Oxford  man,  the  most  perfect  gentleman  I  ever 
saw,  most  spiritual,  most  humble,  most  talented.  There  is 
a  paragon.  His  short  rule  was  a  delightful  one." 

190 


CHAPTER    XII. 
WOODSTOCK  COLLEGE. 

VAN  RENSSELAER  returned  to  America  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1880,  with  two  other  Americans,  his  fellow 
novices  at  Roehampton,  Thomas  Sherman,  a  son  of  Gen. 
Willam  Tecumseh  Sherman,  and  Thomas  Kernan,  a  son  of 
Senator  Kernan  of  New  York.  After  a  brief  stay  at  St. 
Francis  Xavier's,  New  York  City,  Van  Rensselaer,  as  he 
was  still  a  novice,  went  on  to  the  novitiate  "of  the  Mary- 
land-New York  Province,  at  Frederick,  Md. 

A  few  days  after  his  arrival  at  the  novitiate  he  wrote  to 
his  sister,  Mrs.  George  Waddington: 

"NOVITIATE, 

"FREDERICK  CITY.  MD. 

"August  1,  1880. 
"Mv  DEAR  BESSIE: 

"  .  .  .  I  had  a  pleasant  visit  in  New  York,  although 
I  found  the  family  very  much  scattered.  I  am  convinced 
that  it  is  unadvisable  in  religious  questions  to  say  anything 
aggressive.  Try  to  let  people  know  what  the  true  religion 
is  and  then  leave  the  rest  to  God.  We.  having  the  truth  on 
our  side,  can  always  speak  with  authority,  and  this  is  pecu- 
liar to  the  Catholic  Church.  I  found  on  the  steamer  that 
when  one  inquired  into  what  people  believed  in  their  hearts, 
it  amounted  to  Universalism — that  God  is  very  good  and 
merciful  and  will  not  condemn.  They  call  themselves  Pres- 
byterians, and  Episcopalians,  and  free  thinkers;  there  was 

191 


LIFE   OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

much  they  had  in  common,  the  rest  they  considered  merely 
external  forms.  As  I  look  back  now  on  our  trip,  I  think  we 
wasted  time ;  for  several  days  we  kept  quite  aloof  until  peo- 
ple began  to  question  us,  and  even  then  we  were  rather  on 
the  defensive.  Father  Pardow,  who  was  our  leader,  told 
me  not  to  be  shy  in  talking,  but  to  improve  my  opportunities, 
so  then  I  set  to  work,  and  having  had  experience  in  religious 
matters  I  discovered  in  myself  a  certain  power.  In  the  end 
I  talked  quite  openly,  though  in  the  beginning  everyone 
warned  everyone  else  against  us,  and  a  third  person  invaria- 
bly would  come  up  to  try  to  interfere.  The  captain  regu- 
larly walked  off  with  two  ladies  who  wished  to  talk  with 
me,  and  naturally  I  was  at  a  disadvantage  because  I  could 
not  walk  up  and  down  the  deck  with  ladies.  In  the  end, 
however,  I  won  over  the  captain ;  he  and  I  became  excellent 
friends,  and  he  entered  into  a  compact  not  to  interfere. 
People  respect  you  much  more  if  you  talk  to  them  up  and 
down  without  fear. 

"I  am  delighted  with  the  Jesuits  I  have  met  in  America. 
They  have  overwhelmed  me  with  kindness.  I  spent  a  few 
hours  at  Woodstock  en  route,  and  was  charmed.  I  will  tell 
you  more  about  it  when  I  go  there  in  September.  Frederick 
is  a  great  contrast  to  Roehampton ;  there  is  something  very 
gentle  and  sympathetic  about  the  Fathers  and  novices  here. 
Not  that  they  were  not  good  and  kind  in  England,  but  John 
Bull  has  his  peculiarities.  It  is  pleasant  to  be  in  a  religious 
habit,  rosary  and  all.  The  Roehampton  novices  lose  much 
by  not  wearing  the  habit.  Here  the  novices  are  wonder- 
fully edifying. 

"I  shall  enjoy  my  month  in  this  place  immensely.  The 
scenery  in  the  neighborhood  is  beautiful,  but  best  of  all  there 
is  here  a  wonderful  spirit  of  charity  and  gentleness;  just 

192 


WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

what  I  need  and  hope  to  get,  for  my  late  experience  on  the 
ship  tells  me  that  what  people  yearn  for  is  sympathy  and 
kindness.  .  .  . 

"Ever  your  devoted  brother, 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER,  SJ." 

In  the  beginning  of  September  he  reported  for  his  studies 
in  philosophy  at  Woodstock,  Md.,  where  he  was  to  spend 
three  faithful  and  happy  years.  On  the  approach  of  the 
Feast  of  All  Saints,  he  returned  to  Frederick  to  take  his 
first  vows  as  a  Jesuit  scholastic.  The  interruption  was  a 
brief  one,  for  it  was  from  Woodstock  College  that  he  wrote 
the  following  letter: 

"WOODSTOCK, 

"November  2,  1880. 

"I  have  had  the  great  happiness  of  taking  the  vows.  I 
went  down  to  Frederick  on  Saturday  afternoon,  sj>ent  Sun- 
day in  recollection  and  silence,  and  then  on  Monday  in  the 
domestic  chapel,  took  my  vows  before  the  Community.  Just 
think,  I  had  about  thirty  Masses  said  for  me  that  day,  be- 
sides many  receiving  Holy  Communion  for  my  intention. 
There  is  such  a  beautiful  feeling  of  charity  in  the  Society. 
I  like  this  quotation  very  much  and  it  has  made  a  great  im- 
pression on  me:  'Petit  sacrifice,  petit  bonheur;  grand  sac- 
rifice, grand  bonheur ;  sacrifice  complet,  bonheur  complet.' ' 

Shortly  after  his  reception  into  the  Church  his  sister,  who 
had  also  heard  Clod's  voice  calling  her  to  a  religious  life, en- 
tered the  novitiate  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  at  Mount  St. 
Vincent-on-Hudson,  New  York.  Most  of  the  following 
letters  are  addressed  to  her.  On  the  Feast  of  the  Immacu- 
late Conception,  1880,  he  writes: 

193 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

"I  do  not  know  that  I  have  ever  spent  a  happier  feast, 
except  perhaps  All  Saints,  and  this  was  a  breathing  of  the 
same  air.  We  had  our  half-yearly  renovation  of  vows. 
What  the  Society  wishes  is  homo  in  vita  spirituali  perfec- 
tus,  and  for  this,  great  talents  are  not  necessary,  thank  God, 
else  I  might  despair  of  attaining  it,  for  I  shall  never  shine 
as  a  learned  man,  nor  do  I  regret  it  much.  It  has  many 
dangers  which  I  shall  be  spared.  Let  us  desire  better  gifts, 
for  desire  paves  the  way." 

The  Christmas  holidays  brought  with  them  welcome  re- 
laxation from  the  study  of  dialectics  and  abstruse  meta- 
physics. He  writes : — 

"WOODSTOCK  COLLEGE, 

"December  27,  1880. 

"What  a  delightful  season  this  is!  How  one's  heart  over- 
flows with  love  and  gratitude  to  the  God  who  cares  so  ten- 
derly for  His  ungrateful  creatures!  This  has  been  a  very 
happy  season  for  me ;  we  are  like  a  large,  yet  united  family, 
rejoicing  with  holy  simplicity  in  our  little  pleasures.  We 
have  had  several  entertainments,  one  most  amusing,  some 
acting  Scrooge  and  Marley  in  Dickens'  'Christmas  Story.' 
The  parts  were  capitally  taken,  and  we  laughed  ourselves 
hoarse.  Last  night  we  had  a  Christmas  tree  with  a  present 
drawn  by  lot  for  everybody,  so  that  one  got  generally  just 
the  wrong  thing — a  non-smoker,  for  instance,  would  be  sure 
to  receive  a  pipe,  etc.  Some  amusing  things  were  said  very 
apropos,  and  a  clever  local  poem  read.  On  Wednesday  we 
are  to  have  Father  Ryan,  the  poet-priest,  for  our  guest ;  he 
has  a  poem  for  the  occasion,  and  there  will  be  others  from 
Ours,  as  we  have  several  poets  among  us.  The  choir  have 
several  fine  glees  ready,  so  altogether  we  expect  a  pleasant 


WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

evening.  I  have  enjoyed  singing  in  the  Christmas  choir  and 
in  the  glees.  It  is  my  greatest  amusement.  You  see  by  this 
that  we  are  quite  a  lively  set  of  people,  in  fact,  the  lightest- 
hearted  in  the  world,  I  believe." 

A  month  later  his  letter  takes  on  a  more  sombre  hue.  It 
was  probably  written  at  the  beginning  of  the  Lenten  season; 
the  exact  day  of  the  month  is  not  given. 

"WOODSTOCK, 

"February.  1881. 

"How  hard  it  is  for  us  to  make  full  use  of  our  oppor- 
tunities! There  is  not  a  moment  in  the  day  or  night  when 
we  might  not  be  meriting  by  a  silent  aspiration,  a  genuflec- 
tion, even  a  smile,  a  pleasant  word,  a  trifling  act  of  fore- 
thought. These  are  the  brilliants,  tiny  indeed,  but  they 
will  add  great  lustre  to  our  crowns.  I  rememl>er  Father 
Porter  impressed  upon  us  to  make  frequent  acts  of  perfect 
charity.  It  might  seem  presumptuous  at  first  sight,  but  he 
said  it  was  not  so,  and  we  should  tell  Our  Lord  that  we  do 
love  Him,  or  at  least  desire  to  love  Him,  as  well  as  any 
creature  can  love  Him,  even  the  Seraphim  and  His  Blessed 
Mother  herself.  The  desire  comes  from  Him,  so  it  must  be 
most  pleasing  to  Him.  who  is  Perfect  Charity.  \Ve  must 
decide  to  make  the  recreation  hour  the  most  profitable  of 
the  day.  and  with  this  intention  prepare  for  it  by  an  act  of 
l>erfect  charity,  either  in  the  chapel  or  on  our  way  to  the 
recreation  r<x>m.  Our  selfishness  often  hinders  us  from 
helping  our  companions;  I  speak  from  experience.  There 
were  certain  novices  in  Kngland  with  whom  I  was  not  much 
thrown,  and  I  never  sought  them  out  when  it  was  left  free 
to  choose.  B  accident,  a  few  weeks  before  I  left,  I  sat  next 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

one  at  recreation.  He  seemed  downcast,  and  by  some  kindly 
questions  I  found  that  although  within  a  few  months  of  his 
vows,  he  had  not  grasped  the  idea  of  the  religious  life.  He 
had  all  kinds  of  doubts  as  to  his  vocation.  I  tried  to  show 
him  the  serpent's  trail,  and  pointed  out  the  beauties  of  our 
life.  To  my  surprise,  I  found  that  he  had  always  felt  drawn 
to  me,  although  I  had  done  nothing  to  deserve  it.  When  I 
left  he  was  one  of  the  most  affected  and  the  last  to  bid  fare- 
well, as  he  stole  away  from  the  others  and  was  at  the  lodge 
gate  for  a  last  good-bye.  The  other  day  I  had  a  letter  from 
him  saying  how  happy  he  now  was  in  his  vocation.  He  had 
taken  his  vows,  and  his  doubts  had  long  since  vanished. 
The  moral  may  apologize  for  my  speaking  of  this,  and  I 
was  only  the  unworthy  mouth-piece  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

In  March  he  alludes  feelingly  to  St.  Joseph:— 

"Let  us  have  great  confidence;  this  should  be  the  domi- 
nant note  of  all  our  prayers;  it  will  make  them  most  pleas- 
ing to  God.  We  should  ask  like  children  who  feel  they  have 
a  right  to  ask,  and  are  sure  of  having  their  petition  granted, 
because  they  cannot  conceive  the  possibility  of  their  Father 
being  unable  or  unwilling  to  fulfil  their  desires.  I  think  T 
owe  a  great  deal  to  St.  Joseph.  I  am  convinced  that  he 
helped  me  to  my  vocation,  as  his  month  in  Paris,  our  first 
month  as  Catholics,  was  a  fruitful  season  to  me,  although  I 
was  then  only  groping  in  the  dark  and  cold  and  could  not 
tell  whither  Providence  was  leading  me.  Those  are  happy 
days  to  look  back  upon,  but  what  a  blessing  to  be  settled  in 
our  proper  place." 

The  Winter  of  1880-81  was  unusually  severe.  Old- 
timers  could  recall  nothing  like  it.  All  the  more  enjoyable 

19G 


WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

was  it  when  the  Spring  came  in  all  its  freshness,  and  the 
scholastics  could  take  their  long  walks  in  the  environs  of 
Woodstock.  How  those  days  were  spent  and  enjoyed  by 
Van  Rensselaer,  we  learn  in  the  following  letter:— 

"May  12,  1881. 

"Yesterday,  the  feast  of  St.  Francis  Jerome,  Mr.  X.  and 
I  made  an  excursion.  We  left  at  7  A.  M.  and  got  back  at 
a  little  after  6  in  the  evening.  It  was  one  of  the  pleasantest 
days  of  my  life.  Mr.  X.  is  amiable,  clever,  intellectual  and 
spiritual.  We  made  our  meditation  on  the  way,  pausing 
now  and  then,  when  it  was  concluded,  to  rest  ourselves  and 
pick  wild  flowers.  Our  chief  object  was  to  discuss  the 
'Fundamentum'  of  the  Spiritual  Exercises,  which  we  did 
from  time  to  time,  as  the  spirit  moved  us.  The  terminus  of 
our  walk  was  a  mission  church  belonging  to  us,  about  ten 
miles  away.  We  took  a  cold  dinner  with  us  and  refreshed 
ourselves  at  midday  in  the  shady  woods  by  the  bank  of  a 
stream.  When  we  reached  the  church  we  played  on  the 
harmonium  and  sang  hymns,  etc.,  to  our  hearts'  content,  and 
then  retraced  our  steps  to  Woodstock.  It  was  a  perfect  day." 

The  following  letters  and  extracts  from  letters,  written 
at  this  time,  show  how,  as  a  student,  Van  Rensselaer  ever 
kept  before  him  the  high  ideals  of  the  novitiate. 

"WOODSTOCK, 
"Mv  DEAR  SISTER:  "May  22,  1881. 

"P.  C. 

"I  must  congratulate  you  upon  having  completed  the  two 
years  successfully,  and  wish  you  perseverance  not  only  until 
the  vows,  but  until  you  are  called  to  the  reward  of  those 

197 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

who  persevere  until  the  end.  Perhaps  you  may  think  the 
two  years  have  not  produced  as  much  change  in  you  as  you 
expected  and  hoped,  but  we  are  poor  judges  in  our  own  case 
and  I  am  sure  that  the  progress  has  been  real  and  great, 
although  it  may  not  seem  so  to  you.  One  may  safely  admit 
in  almost  every  case,  that  more  might  have  been  effected 
had  there  been  a  readier,  and  more  generous,  and  more  thor- 
ough correspondence  with  grace,  and  this  must  urge  us  on 
to  greater  activity,  for  active  we  must  be  if  we  would  ac- 
complish anything!  This  activity  is  shown  largely  in  re- 
sisting, 'agendo  contra,'  as  St.  Ignatius  puts  it.  How  com- 
paratively easy  would  the  building  process  be  if  the  founda- 
tions were  solidly  and  surely  laid,  but  with  many  of  us  our 
whole  lives  are  liable  to  be  spent  in  laying  the  foundation, 
beginning  now  with  one  corner,  now  with  another,  and  then 
changing  our  whole  plan.  The  consequence  is,  at  last  we 
say  we  have  spent  time  enough  about  the  foundation  and 
must  see  to  the  superstructure  and  often  build  on  sand  and 
not  on  the  rock  of  solid  virtues.  So  I  confess  it  is  with 
me  in  great  measure.  We  would  wish  to  grow  to  perfection 
without  having  practised  the  rudiments ;  we  think  of  finish- 
ing touches  before  we  have  well  drawn  even  the  outline. 
The  knowledge  of  our  own  weaknesses  and  follies  may  be 
turned  into  a  source  of  strength  if,  knowing  ourselves  to  be 
weak,  we  rely  upon  a  higher  power  and  throw  ourselves 
upon  His  mercy  and  compassion.  How  can  He  be  so  for- 
bearing with  us  ?  How  hard  we  find  it  to  be  so  with  others ! 
I  think  if  we  could  conquer  ourselves  in  this  one  point,  vic- 
tory would  crown  our  efforts  in  all  others.  We  are  so 
exacting  and  rigid  in  regard  to  others,  and  how  much  we 
need  to  be  borne  with  ourselves !  They  disgust  us  with  some 
little  gaucherie  or  want  of  bienseance,  and  we  offend  them, 

198 


WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

or  at  least  should  offend  them  had  they  not  great  charity,  by 
our  pride  and  overbearingness.  Weighed  in  the  scales, 
which  would  outweigh?  There  can  be  no  question. 

"Our  lives  must  be  apostolic  and  we  must  acquire  the 
apostolic  virtues  and  first  of  all  charity,  as  St.  Paul  says, 
'charitas  Christi  urget  nos,'  that  is,  charity  should  be  the 
motive  power  of  our  lives,  the  cause  of  our  words  and  ac- 
tions. For  why  have  we  followed  Him  except  for  the  love 
of  Him?  We  must  strive,  then,  to  make  this  evident  in  act, 
for  words  without  the  acts  make  us  laughable.  Nor  should 
we  be  downcast  because  we  have  made  such  failures  in  our 
attempts.  We  have  failed,  but  that  is  past ;  success  lies  in 
the  future,  and  strength  in  the  present ;  the  failures  will  at 
least  teach  us  humility,  and  so  we  may  draw  good  out  of 
evil ;  constant  effort  will  necessarily  produce  the  effect  which 
is  in  our  power,  but  it  must  be  a  constant,  persevering,  un- 
daunted effort — it  shall  be,  that  is  our  resolution. 

"I  sincerely  trust  that  you  may  have  the  happiness  of 
taking  your  vows  in  July;  it  gives  stability  of  feeling.  Have 
not  the  two  years  gone  quickly?  I  can  scarce  believe  that 
it  is  nearly  a  year  since  I  left  England.  I  often  hear  frofn 
Manresa;  things  are  flourishing  over  there.  I  am  strug- 
gling now  really  hard  for  the  examination,  and  sometimes  I 
am  a  little  anxious  about  it  lest  I  break  down.  However, 
I  shall  try  to  be  prudent  and  then  trust  to  Providence.  We 
are  reviewing  all  the  philosophic  matter  of  the  year  and, 
as  you  may  imagine,  it  is  not  a  small  quantity,  and  being 
very  abstruse  is  hard  to  rememl>er.  I  shall  have  to  finish 
this  letter  at  once  as  time  is  up.  Praying  that  the  Aiurilium 
Christ  iaiwrnnt  will  obtain  for  you  your  heart's  desire,  as  I 
doubt  not  she  will.  I  am  your  devoted  brother. 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER.  S.J." 
199 


"WOODSTOCK, 

"Feast  of  Blessed  Berchmans,  1882. 
"Mv  DEAR  SISTER: 

"P.  C. 

"I  am  certain  not  to  have  time  to  finish  this  letter  to-day, 
but  I  will  at  least  begin  to  show  you  that  you  are  not  out  of 
mind  on  our  Patron's  feast.  How  far  behind  him  we  are 
in  perfection!  The  comparison,  even,  seems  absurd,  yet 
why  should  it?  He  was  of  the  very  same  nature  as  our- 
selves, and  had  the  same  passions  to  struggle  against  and 
flesh  to  mortify.  Wherein,  then,  lies  the  difference?  It 
must  be  in  the  steadiness  of  his  resolutions.  We  resolve,  but 
we  so  often  fail  in  the  execution  through  a  want  of  con- 
stancy. We  get  weary  in  well-doing  and  yield  to  our  in- 
clination to  indulge  ourselves  if  it  be  only  a  harsh  judgment 
or  a  cross  word  now  and  then.  We  cannot  imagine  our 
Blessed  John  ever  giving  way  to  such  an  indulgence  of  tem- 
per. By  constant  resistance  of  the  inclination  it  will  by  de- 
grees become  so  far  weakened  that  at  length  it  will  die  a 
natural  death.  We  must  not  despair,  though  this  consum- 
mation appears  one  of  those  things  which,  though  indeed 
possible,  does  not  seem  probable.  Why  should  we  not  aim 
at  it  with  all  our  might,  humbling  ourselves  under  failure, 
but  none  the  less  persevering?  The  perseverance  will  finally 
be  crowned.  Do  you  not  know  from  your  own  experience 
how  changed  you  have  become  in  a  very  few  years,  even  in 
a  year?  Why,  then,  in  another  should  we  not  make  an- 
other stride  on  the  thorny  road  of  perfection?  It  is  worth 
the  attempt. 

"You  ask  for  some  practical  way  of  showing  your  devo- 
tion to  the  Sacred  Heart.  Is  not  the  essence  of  a  true  devo- 
tion imitation  of  the  object?  If,  then,  we  are  really  devout 

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WOODSTOCK  COLLEGE 

to  the  Sacred  Heart,  the  effect  should  be  iu  the  words  of 
the  ejaculation  to  make  our  hearts  like  His  Heart.  It  is, 
then,  a  most  practical  devotion ;  it  is  the  making  our  hearts 
like  His.  Are  they  much  alike  at  present?  I  fear  we  can 
find  only  too  many  points  of  dissimilarity;  His  Heart  all 
love  and  charity  and  unselfishness;  ours  hard,  cold  and 
selfish.  So  every  thought  and  word  and  act  which  will  help 
increase  the  likeness  will  be  an  act  of  devotion;  if  we  have 
the  actual  intention  of  its  being  so,  so  much  the  better.  At 
least  we  must  have  the  virtual  intention  made  in  the  morn- 
ing when  we  offer  up  all  that  passes  during  the  day.  Rep- 
aration, of  course,  enters  into  the  devotion,  but  it  is  the 
reparation  which  relates  to  ourselves.  It  is  absurd  to  make 
reparation  for  others  until  we  root  out  the  bitterness  in  our 
own  hearts.  It  will  help  to  sweeten  our  endeavors  to  re- 
member that  we  are  practising  the  most  wholesome  and 
acceptable  devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  our  loving  l^ord. 
It  will  nerve  us  to  know  that  by  doing  it  we  are  proving  our 
devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart.  How  much  He  endured  for 
love  of  us!  Shall  not  we  bravely  and  lovingly  make  a 
worthy  return?  And  docs  not  this  tally  well  with  the  prac- 
tice of  making  acts  of  ejaculations?  If  we  have  the  words 
expressing  our  desire  to  become  like  Our  Lord  always  on 
our  lips,  and  mean  what  we  say,  must  we  not  by  the  very 
fact  become  like  Him?  Will  not  the  desire  of  our  hearts 
at  length  become  realized  ?  Do  not  expect  too  much  at  first ; 
l>e  content  with  a  few,  but  let  those  few  be  earnest  and  nuke 
up  in  intensity  for  their  fewness.  I  do  not  mean  to  remain 
content  with  few,  but  add  on  by  degrees  and  take  an  account 
of  the  reason  you  are  unable  to  increase  the  number  or  even 
to  reach  the  ordinary  quota.  But  take  heart  and  keep  up 
your  courage. 

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LIFE  OF   FTENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

"We  have  a  good  Master.  What  comfort  there  is  in  the 
thought !  When,  after  repeated  failure,  we  are  in  a  desper- 
ate state  and  tempted  to  give  up  in  despair,  then  we  should 
recall  His  tender  love,  His  fatherly  care  and  His  untiring 
patience.  They  are  really  crucial  moments  for  us.  They 
test  our  motives.  Are  they  unmixed  with  self-love  or  not? 
If  self  is  there,  then  we  feel  hurt  and  sore  and  indisposed 
to  make  any  further  effort.  If  the  intention  is  pure  we 
may  be  sad,  and  justly  too,  because  of  our  weakness  and 
cowardice,  but  at  the  same  time  the  thought  of  the  loving 
help  of  God  will  make  us  ready  and  willing  to  take  up  our 
arms  for  another  tussle  with  the  enemy.  Tussles  they  are, 
usually,  and  not  a  well-ordered  campaign  on  the  open  field, 
the  enemy  in  full  view  and  his  strength  known  and  meas- 
ured. Our  enemy  is  always  lurking  around  corners,  ready 
to  pounce  upon  us  unawares  and  unprepared.  Let  us  always 
be  ready  for  him  no  matter  when  or  how  he  attacks  us.  He 
is  ever  near  us,  within  us.  Our  worst  enemy  is  the  irritable 
temper,  the  proud  spirit,  the  hasty,  ill-natured  tongue.  Our 
neighbors  seem  to  be  the  cause  of  our  irritation,  but  were 
we  mild  and  meek  and  amiable,  would  they  be?  At  all 
events  not  in  the  same  degree  as  they  now  are  with  our 
domestic  enemies  unsubdued. 

"But  you  will  be  tired  of  my  long-winded  talk.  I  cannot 
honestly  send  you  this  without  confessing  that  I  myself  am 
the  most  guilty  of  all.  I  had  a  little  trial  of  patience,  being 
kept  in  my  room  for  two  weeks  after  I  came  back  from  St. 
Inigoes  with  an  abrasion  of  the  skin,  got  by  falling  over  a 
bench  in  the  dark.  Now,  thank  God,  it  is  perfectly  healed. 

"I  am  so  glad  you  liked  Father  Devitt.  I  thought  you 
would,  when  I  heard  he  was  to  give  the  retreat.  Father 
Prendergast  will  be  a  help  to  you ;  perhaps  you  might  have 
him  to  take  Father  Jerge's  place,  as  the  latter  goes  to  Fred- 

202 


WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

erick  for  tertianship.     You  must  remember  me  especially 
during  my  retreat ;  it  begins  on  the  23tl.     Father  Welch  of 
Boston,  a  convert,  gives  it.   I  expect  it  to  be  very  helpful. 
"I  am  your  devoted  brother, 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER,  S.J." 

"WOODSTOCK, 

"1882. 

"I  had  a  delightful  letter  from  Father  Prendergast.  writ- 
ten after  he  had  finished  the  long  retreat  of  the  third  year's 
probation.  It  was  as  good  to  me  as  a  retreat ;  it  filled  me 
with  love  for  the  Spiritual  Exercises  of  our  Holy  Father. 
St.  Ignatius,  or  rather  it  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  love  and 
devotion  I  already  lx>re  them.  They  are  our  own  special 
weapons  for  our  greatest  means  of  advancing  the  glory  of 
(jcxl.  I  tmst  some  day  to  l>e  able  to  wield  them  powerfully. 

"I  am  Ixx'omjng  quite  an  enthusiastic  philosopher.  Just 
now  we  are  studying  interesting  matter,  the  soul:  it  en- 
hances one's  ideas  of  the  dignity  of  man.  I  am  studying  as 
hard  as  my  cajxicity  allows;  more  would  be  worse  than  use- 
less. I  try  not  to  worry  too  much  over  the  examinations, 
and  in  spite  of  them  am  as  happy  as  jx>ssible.  All  these 
things  are  of  secondary  importance  after  all.  and  if  we  keep 
before  our  minds  the  primary  end.  our  perfection,  they  will 
not  hinder,  but  even  advance  it.  Kvery  day  the  ideal  l>e fore 
me  seems  to  grow  more  tangible  and  real,  and  if  we  only 
corresjjonded  more  generously  to  abundant  grace,  the  day 
might  come  when  we  should  l>e  worthy  imitators  of  our 
saintly  Fathers.  Courage  and  confidence!  Let  us  throw 
ourselves  into  that  loving  Heart  where  we  shall  find  such 
power  and  zeal  and  burning  charity,  and  come  forth  changed 
into  new  creatures.  As  of  old.  it  will  be  said :  Thou  also 

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LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

vvert  with  Jesus  of  Galilee,  for  thy  speech  betrayeth  thee.' 

"How  much  we  may  do  or  leave  undone  for  Our  Lord! 
It  is  the  tiniest  of  insects  that  forms  the  great  coral  reefs 
and  islands;  so  we,  by  adding  act  to  act,  tiny  as  they  may 
be,  shall  raise  a  tower  upon  which  we  shall  mount  to 
Heaven.  We  cannot  imagine  Our  Lord  to  have  been  any- 
thing but  affable,  gentle  and  sympathetic  even  in  trifling 
things.  We  ought  to  try  to  be  the  same,  and  we  shall  please 
him  more  and  afford  greater  edification  than  by  any  amount 
of  penance  and  mortification." 

Here  are  some  of  his  thoughts  during  the  month  of 
November : — 

"I  have  been  very  much  impressed  this  month,  when  med- 
itating on  the  Holy  Souls  in  Purgatory,  with  the  mercy  of 
God  in  giving  this  means  of  purification  to  those  who  have 
not,  in  their  lives,  availed  themselves  of  their  opportunities. 
We  know  that  many  die  in  a  state  only  not  bad  enough  for 
hell.  Their  love  of  God  has  been  tepid,  yet  His  overwhelm- 
ing mercy  finds  a  means  to  give  them  the  joys  of  heaven, 
little  as  they  would  seem  to  deserve  it.  What  would  such  a 
soul  tell  us  if  it  could  come  back  to  earth?  How  it  would 
exhort  us  to  make  use  of  every  means  of  grace  to  the  ut- 
most, and  to  let  no  chance  slip  by  unimproved  to  learn  to 
love  Him,  who  is  to  be  hereafter  our  joy  and  our  crown! 
We  can  help  the  Holy  Souls  and  at  the  same  time  grow  in 
the  love  of  God  by  repeating  frequently  an  indulgenced  as- 
piration :  'Jesus,  meek  and  humble  of  heart' ;  'Sweet  Heart 
of  Mary,  be  my  salvation.'  Wre  shall  thus  keep  the  thought 
of  Jesus  and  Mary  ever  before  our  minds  until  they  become 
the  constant  companions  of  our  lives.  Our  lives  should  bear 
the  character  of  reparation,  for  we  are  brands  snatched  from 

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WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

the  burning.  We  might  have  been  unbearable  for  pride, 
yet  Almighty  God  saw  the  desires  of  our  hearts  and  opened 
them  to  the  light  of  Truth :  more  still,  has  chosen  us  to  be 
His  own  particular  companions,  and  yet  more,  apostles,  to 
bring  others  to  His  feet.  Let  us  keep  this  before  our  eyes, 
that  the  salvation  of  many  depends  upon  our  sanctification ; 
that  if  we  become  saints,  the  glory  of  God  will  be  advanced 
far  beyond  any  conception  that  we  can  form. 

"What  peace  and  contentment  it  brings  to  have  made  the 
sacrifice  of  all  things!  I  feel  a  growing  love  for  poverty 
and  never  am  happier  than  when  I  part  with  some  of  the 
few  treasures  I  still  have.  To-day,  for  example,  I  have 
sent  Francis  my  missal.  I  should  like  him  to  use  it  at  his 
first  Mass.  We  used  to  study  it  together  in  old  times. 

"What  a  blessed  thing  it  would  be  to  have  such  faith  as 
to  see  God  in  everybody  and  in  everything!  How  different, 
then,  would  be  our  lives,  superiors  and  equals  all  invested 
with  a  halo  of  divinity  because  we  see  God  in  them  as  in  a 
tabernacle!  Then  would  our  dealings  with  all  become  easy, 
for  in  them  we  should  be  obeying  and  serving  Him  whose 
least  command  is  law.  whose  least  service  an  honor.  This 
was  the  practice  of  the  saints;  this  transforms  earth  into  a 
Heaven  where  God  goes  in  and  out  among  us,  and  where 
we  can  constantly  be  advancing  His  glory.  How  much 
good  we  can  find  in  everything  if  we  only  look  for  it.  and 
instead  of  dwelling  upon  people's  defects,  dwell  upon  their 
good  points  and  Income  ourselves  amiable  and  lovable  in 
proportion,  and  secure  the  Kastcr  greeting  of  Christ :  'Peace 
lie  with  you.' ' 

As  Christmas  approached,  his  thoughts  took  on  the  char- 
acter of  the  festival,  and  a  few  days  l>cforc  its  advent  he 
wrote: — 

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LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN    RENSSELAER 

"My  Christmas  greeting  must  be:  'That  He  may  come 
and  find  prepared  for  Him  a  mansion  worthy  of  Him.'  The 
words  of  that  prayer  before  Holy  Communion  have  always 
had  a  peculiar  fascination  for  me ;  in  fact,  I  have  an  especial 
devotion  to  the  season  of  Advent ;  there  is  something  so 
touching,  so  pathetic  in  the  words  used  by  the  Church  in 
her  antiphons  and  hymns;  something  of  that  longing  after 
Him  Who  is  to  come,  that  it  makes  one  homesick  for  the 
true  home  which  awaits  us  when  He  shall  come  the  second 
time  to  take  us  to  Himself  to  be  with  Him  forever.  We 
might  call  our  whole  life  an  Advent-tide,  for  it  should  be 
one  of  expectation  and  preparation.  We  must  live  for  the 
future,  though  in  the  present,  and  fulfil  every  little  duty 
with  a  faith  which  pierces  the  clouds  and  sees  them  in  the 
light  of  eternity." 

The  two  following  letters  show  that  he  was  mindful  of 
his  sister  on  her  patronal  feast,  that  of  the  Seven  Dolors  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin. 

"March  30,  1882. 
"Mv  DEAR  SISTER  DOLORES: 

"P.  C 

"I  might  not  have  time  to  write  you  on  your  feast  day, 
so  I  will  write  now,  that  you  may  receive  my  letter  perhaps 
to-morrow.  You  are  blessed  in  having  two  fetes  a  year; 
most  people  are  satisfied  with  one. 

"I  think  we  are  rather  inclined  not  to  appreciate  enough 
what  it  is  to  have  had  such  a  mother  and  father  as  ours. 
.  .  .  We  must  work  hard  for  mother  now ;  what  a  pity 
that  she  should  not  have  the  comforts  and  consolations  of 
the  Church.  But  Our  Lord  has  his  own  times  of  grace; 
perhaps  her  hour  has  not  yet  come ;  we  must,  as  of  yore,  try 
to  get  His  Mother  to  use  her  influence  to  hasten  it 

20G 


WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

"We  had  our  sermon  here,  too,  preached  by  death.  Our 
Father  Minister,  one  morning  last  week  did  not  go  to  the 
sacristy  at  Mass  time;  they  went  to  call  him  and  found  him 
stretched  on  the  floor  quite  dead.  It  was  a  great  shock  to 
us;  the  first  we  knew  of  it  was  to  hear  the  passing-bell  ring 
towards  the  end  of  our  hour  of  meditation.  We  knew  of  no 
one  for  whom  to  say  the  'De  Profundis,'  as  only  one  of  the 
scholastics  was  sick,  and  he  not  dangerously.  The  mourn- 
ing was  general  when  we  were  told  that  it  was  the  Father 
Minister;  he  was  universally  l>eloved  and  respected  as  a 
saint,  although  he  had  been  among  us  at  Woodstock  only 
seven  months.  He  was  certainly  well  prepared  by  nearly 
thirty  years  of  religous  life  of  self-sacrifice.  For  seventeen 
years  he  was  prefect  of  discipline  in  boarding  colleges,  and 
you  may  imagine  what  a  life  that  is.  Strange  to  say  we 
found  that  the  points  of  his  meditation  had  been  :  'The  hap- 
piness a  good  religious  would  feel  at  the  hour  of  his  death, 
when  he  could  look  back  upon  a  life  of  mortification  and 
sacrifice.'  Was  it  not  a  good  proximate  preparation  for 
death?  The  cause  was  paralysis  of  the  heart.  He  looked 
so  natural  and  lifelike  for  two  days  that  many  declared  that 
he  was  in  a  trance.  Fortunately  for  our  peace  of  mind,  the 
unmistakable  signs  appeared  on  the  third  day,  and  there  was 
no  longer  room  for  doubt.  He  is  an  immense  loss  to  us.  I 
was  very  fond  of  him  and  saw  a  good  deal  of  him.  It 
preaches  a  striking  lesson  to  us  to  be  ready.  It  seems  often 
to  be  the  lot  of  religious  to  die  suddenly ;  certainly,  with  all 
our  religious  exercises,  we  ought  to  be  prepared. 

"It  was  a  relief  to  hear  from  you  after  such  a  long  silence. 
1  imagined,  however,  that  there  was  no  real  reason  for  your 
silence  except  want  of  time  and  energy,  at  least  for  writing. 
It  does  require  a  certain  effort  to  put  oneself  down  to  write. 

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LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

"Lent  has  passed  very  quickly  and,  as  you  may  suppose, 
I  have  not  been  allowed  to  fast.  However,  one  can  gain 
much  merit  not  only  by  the  obedience  under  which  one  acts, 
but  also  by  giving  up  little  things  at  meals,  nothing  essen- 
tial, but  little  extras,  nor  that  regularly,  but  varying,  first 
one  and  then  another.  In  that  way  we  can  practise  a  good 
deal  of  mortification  on  a  small  scale  without  injuring  our 
health  or  violating  the  intention  of  our  Superiors  in  bidding 
us  eat. 

"I  can  scarcely  realize  that  a  whole  year  has  passed  since 
last  Holy  Week.  When  one  is  busy,  time  flies.  If  only  our 
advance  in  perfection  could  keep  pace  with  it;  however,  we 
must  be  content  to  go  along  slowly,  provided  it  be  surely, 
not  losing  any  ground  that  we  have  gained,  but  steadily 
keeping  in  view  the  end  for  which  we  left  the  world,  our 
own  perfection  and  the  good  of  others.  But  the  first  must 
always  have  the  chief  place  in  our  endeavors,  and  we  may 
be  sure  that  the  second  will  not  suffer  in  consequence. 

"I  find  the  use  of  ejaculatory  prayers  very  helpful,  such 
as  'Jesus,  meek  and  humble  of  heart,  make  my  heart  like 
unto  Thine,'  and  'S*weet  Heart  of  Mary,  be  my  salvation.' 
They  are  both  indulgenced  for  three  hundred  days,  so  by 
repeating  them  we  can  help  the  Holy  Souls,  and  at  the  same 
time  form  habits  in  our  soul,  acquire  humility  and  gentle- 
ness, and  thus  avoid  pride  and  harshness,  besides  keeping 
the  thought  of  Jesus  and  Mary  ever  before  our  minds,  until 
they  become  the  constant  companions  of  our  lives,  and  as- 
sociated with  all  our  thoughts  and  works  and  words.  Be- 
gin by  making  a  determination  to  say  a  certain  number,  not 
too  many  at  first,  before  the  midday,  and  again  before  the 
night  examen ;  then  week  after  week  try  to  advance  the 
number,  and  you  will  be  surnrised  to  find  that  your  life 

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WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

seems  to  be  made  up  of  ejaculations.  This  is  by  no  means 
beyond  our  reach,  if  we  are  faithful  and  zealous.  Is  not 
this  the  life  of  recollection  we  want,  and  that  which  active 
saints  led?  Nor  will  your  work  suffer  in  any  way:  on  the 
contrary,  it  will  help  to  concentrate  and  spiritualize  even-- 
thing you  do,  for  is  it  not  because  we  do  not  keep  in  mind 
the  motive  of  our  actions  that  they  are  done  in  a  purely  me- 
chanical way?  As  to  one's  success  in  meditation,  remember, 
the  criterion  of  a  good  meditation  is  not  sensible  consolation 
and  satisfaction,  but  the  making  of  a  resolution  which  will 
tell  upon  our  conduct  during  the  day.  We  should  accom- 
plish much  if  we  only  could  grasp  the  idea  of  prayer,  what 
it  really  is.  the  communion  of  two,  the  outpouring  of  our 
desires  and  longings,  the  confession  of  our  shortcomings 
and  forebodings  into  the  ears  of  One  whose  delight  is  to  be 
with  the  children  of  men.  frail  and  foolish  as  they  are.  Ixrt 
us  beseech  Our  I^ord  more  earnestly  to  teach  us  to  pray 
simply,  heartily,  and  with  unlxnmded  confidence. 

"As  to  devotion  to  our  I^ady,  do  not  worry  yourself  on 
that  score;  it  is  a  thing  which  must  be  spontaneous  and 
cannot  be  forced.  I  am  sure  that  you  are  a  devout  client, 
and  although  you  may  consider  things  said  and  done  are 
sometimes  not  in  good  taste,  yet  in  no  way  do  you  derogate 
from  her  honor.  Tf  we  think  of  her  always  as  the  one  whom 
Our  T.ord  loved  the  most  dearly  of  creatures,  we  shall  by 
degrees,  as  we  become  more  Christ  like,  find  that  we  shall 
according  to  our  measure  love  her  as  He  did.  I  find  my 
devotion  and  confidence  ever  on  the  increase,  and  if  you 
take  up  the  method  of  ejaculations  which  T  spoke  of.  you 
will  find  that  the  'Sweet  Heart  of  Mary'  will  prove  a  reality 
to  you.  "Your  devoted  brother. 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER.  SJ." 
209 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

"WOODSTOCK, 

"FEAST  OF  SEVEN  DOLORS, 

"1883. 
"Mv  DEAR  SISTER  DOLORES: 

"P.  C. 

"I  do  not  know  which  of  the  two  feasts  of  the  Dolors  of 
Our  Lady  is  your  favorite.  This  one,  it  seems  to  me,  should 
be.  In  consequence  of  its  being  so  near  the  Passiontide  of 
her  Divine  Son,  we  can  realize  better  what  her  sufferings 
were  in  the  chief  of  her  dolors,  as  she  stood  at  the  foot  of 
the  cross.  That,  too,  must  be  our  station,  if  we  would  be 
true  followers  of  the  Crucified.  Not  like  the  faithless,  or 
rather  weak  in  faith,  Apostle,  standing  afar  off,  viewing 
the  cross  and  the  suffering,  but  without  faith  and  confidence 
enough  to  draw  near  and  claim  a  share;  but  like  our  Blessed 
Lady  and  her  generous  companions,  not  ashamed  to  face 
the  shame  nor  too  weak  to  bear  the  pain.  That  little  band 
is  a  cause  of  reproach  to  manhood  and  of  glory  to  woman- 
hood, for  there  were  four  to  one — the-  weaker  sex  showing 
itself  stronger  than  the  strong.  Is  it  not  hard  with  our 
proud  natures  to  try  to  practise  what  we  admit  readily 
enough  in  theory?  Crucified  to  the  world  we  should  be, 
dead  to  self-love  and  self-pleasing.  This  is  only  our  plain 
duty,  as  it  seems  so  clearly  to  us  in  meditation  and  prayer ; 
we  take  our  resolution  to  act  upon  it,  we  rise  from  our  knees 
feeling  quite  heroic,  go  to  the  chapel  perhaps  for  Mass ;  one 
of  our  neighbors  has  some  habit  very  disagreeable  to  us, 
away  goes  our  heroism,  irritation  sets  in  and  has  full  sway; 
we  forget  what  is  going  on,  we  are  inattentive  to  the  action 
of  the  sacrifice,  we  are  unstrung  and  nervous.  We  excuse 
ourselves,  saying:  'How  can  one  help  being  put  out  under 
the  circumstances?  It  is  all  because  of  my  nerves.  I  was 

no 


WOODSTOCK  COLLEGE 

not  myself.  It  is  a  defect  of  my  nature  for  which  I  cannot 
be  held  accountable — my  misfortune  not  my  fault.'  So  in- 
genious self-love  rattles  on,  providing  out  of  its  treasures 
reason  after  reason,  some  of  them  specious  enough  to  de- 
ceive the  very  elect  if  not  on  their  guard.  And  where  is  the 
root  of  the  evil?  It  lies  within  us;  the  external  incident, 
whatever  be  its  nature,  did  but  serve  as  a  match  to  set  fire 
to  a  lot  of  combustible  material  that  we  imprudently  keep 
within  us.  What  shall  quench  this  fire?  What  will  render 
this  dangerous  fuel  beyond  danger  of  a  spark?  Only  a  con- 
tinual supply  of  'that  water  that  springeth  up  unto  ever- 
lasting life.'  That  water  flows  from  the  riven  side  of  Our 
Lord,  and  near  the  sacred  fount  must  we  be  continually ; 
nor  is  there  anything  to  hinder  it.  No  great  exertion  is 
required  on  our  part,  only  a  living  in  the  presence  of  God, 
only  a  constant  union  with  Him;  corporally,  when  it  is 
allowed  us  in  Holy  Communion ;  spiritually,  when  not  our 
privilege.  If  we  had  that  thirst  after  justice  we  should  have, 
we  would  of  our  own  accord  turn  to  the  Fountain  of  Jus- 
tice. 'As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  waterbrooks,  so  longeth 
my  soul  after  Thee,  O  God.'  Such  would  be  our  desire,  such 
indeed  it  is,  I  am  sure,  my  dearest  sister,  but  we  must  not 
rest  in  desires,  but  use  the  means  of  putting  them  into 
action. 

"Struggle  on  with  your  aspirations,  they  may  not  come 
spontaneously  now,  come  they  will  in  time.  Do  not  be  dis- 
couraged and  do  not  be  satisfied  with  what  you  do.  We 
must  ever  cry,  'More,  O  Lord,  more  grace' :  and  with  the 
grace  let  there  be  hereafter  a  greater  faithfulness.  St. 
Peter  of  Alcantara  says:  'Let  us  aim  at  the  highest,  and  by 
the  grace  of  God,  we  shall  be  able  to  accomplish  something 
for  His  greater  glory,  who  has  l>een  so  bountiful  in  His 

21 J 


best  and  perfect  gifts  to  us.'  Those  gifts  have  been  given 
with  a  purpose ;  we  shall  frustrate  it,  unless  we  make  'our- 
selves fit  instruments  in  the  hands  of  the  Heavenly  Work- 
man. Unfit  we  shall  be,  unless  we  extract  all  those  roots 
of  bitterness  that  lie  deep  down  in  our  hearts,  poisoning  all 
the  sweet  water  of  our  lives.  That  overweening  love  of 
self  which  makes  itself  a  very  tyrant,  the  end  and  measure 
of  all  that  we  do  or  is  done  to  us.  Drag  it  up  by  the  roots 
we  must,  for  it  is  useless  to  lop  off  the  upper  growth.  It 
has  sent  out  feelers  and  offshoots  in  all  directions  and  twined 
itself  by  them  closely  around  our  hearts,  and  strengthened 
itself  in  all  those  years  we  have  allowed  it  to  live  and  flour- 
ish. It  can  be  rooted  up — it  must  be,  and  when  ?  Why  let 
it  live  a  day  longer?  Let  us  begin  at  once,  and  a  long  pull 
and  a  strong  pull  and  a  pull  that  will  be  repeated  day  after 
day  until  it  yields.  We  can  do  it  and  we  will.  I  feel  what 
I  say,  otherwise  I  would  never  have  the  assurance  to  write 
it.  I  am  trying  to  practise  what  I  preach  or  I  could  never 
have  the  face  to  preach  it.  I  know  only  too  well  by  experi- 
ence all  that  special  pleading  of  which  I  have  spoken.  Na- 
ture is  responsible  in  a  measure  for  our  character,  but  we, 
too,  are  responsible  for  the  way  in  which  we  have  yielded 
to  our  weaknesses  instead  of  fighting  against  them ;  we  have 
enervated  ourselves  and  then  we  blame  our  nerves  as  if 
they  were  the  sole  cause  of  our  troubles.  No,  it  is  our  soft 
self-indulgence.  If  we  have  violent  tempers  and  strong  pas- 
sions it  is  because  persons  with  such  temperaments  can  "by 
their  very  disposition  do  greater  things  and  endure  more 
than  those  who  are  more  softly  and  gently  disposed.  We 
may  use  these  passions  as  instruments  of  advancement,  but 
not  until  we  have  them  fully  under  our  control.  We  shall  get 
them  under  the  curb  only  by  constant  watchfulness  and 

213 


WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

self-restraint,  stopping  an  ebullition  ere  it  has  gone  too  far. 
Doing  this,  we  shall  eventually  get  the  mastery.  Let  us 
make  up  our  minds  not  to  excuse  ourselves,  but  courage-, 
ously  admit  our  past  faithlessness  and  resolve  to  make  up  In- 
generous  wake  fulness,  ever  on  the  alert  to  foresee  a  coming 
storm  and  to  be  ready  for  it.  This  is  a  rather  incoherent 
sort  of  a  letter,  but  you  will  take  it  for  what  it  is  worth. 
.  .  .  Thank  the  kind  Sisters  for  the  Agnus  Dei,  and 
recommend  me  warmly  to  them. 

"Ever  your  devoted  brother, 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER,  S.J." 

What  his  thoughts  were  during  Holy  Week  may  be  seen 
in  a  letter  he  wrote  to  his  sister  a  week  later. 


"WOODSTOCK, 

"MAUNDY-THURSDAY, 

"March  22,  1883. 

"For  my  greetings  to  reach  you  on  Easter  Day,  I  must 
write  now.  To-day  we  commemorate  that  greatest  of  bless- 
ings bestowed  by  Our  Lord,  the  institution  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  of  His  Holy  Body  and  Blood,  to  be  the  soul's 
food  in  this  journey  through  the  wilderness,  when  nothing 
but  the  Heavenly  Manna  can  be  found  to  sustain  and 
strengthen  it.  It  is  a  day  of  days  indeed,  telling  of  the 
height  of  treason  and  of  fidelity,  of  the  depths  of  human 
depravity  and  of  Divine  mercy  and  forgiveness;  how  Judas 
l>etrayed  and  sold,  how  Qirist  forgave  and  would  have 
saved.  Did  human  nature  ever  look  meaner  than  in  the 
person  of  the  traitor  or  nobler  than  in  the  Betrayed?  The 
whole  history  of  the  Passion  is  full  of  antitheses, — the  Apos- 

213 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

'. 

ties  dreaming  of  an  earthly  kingdom  and  its  pomp  and 
show,  undesirous  of  shame  and  ignominy,  as  yet  far  from 
being  spiritual-minded;  their  Master,  the  King  of  Kings, 
whose  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world,  who  thirsted  for 
affronts  and  obloquy,  and  whose  mind  was  set  on  things 
above,  not  on  the  things  of  the  earth.  Can  anything  be 
more  pathetic  than  the  contrast  between  the  Master  and  the 
Disciples  ?  He  looked  for  some  one  to  comfort  Him,  to 
sympathize  with  Him.  He  looked  in  vain;  they  could 
neither  appreciate  nor  enter  into  His  sentiments.  Yet  they 
had  been  under  His  training  and  influence  for  three  years. 
What  reason  had  He  ever  given  them  for  such  expectations 
as  they  counted  upon  ?  None ;  He  had  fled  at  the  time  when 
the  people,  full  of  enthusiasm  on  account  of  the  miracle  of 
the  feeding  of  the  multitude,  would  have  taken  Him  and 
made  Him  king.  He  had  a  throne  which  He  would  one 
day  ascend  amidst  the  shouts  of  the  by-standers ;  that  throne 
was  the  cross,  the  acclamations,  jeers  of  derision  and  scorn. 
It  is  easy  for  us  to  wonder  at  the  stupidity  and  blindness 
of  the  Jews,  for  the  defects  of  others  are  always  apparent 
enough ;  our  own  escape  our  attention,  so  much  are  we  en- 
grossed with  others.  I  often  ask  myself  on  which  side  I 
should  have  been  had  I  been  present  on  Calvary.  It  is  hard 
to  be  on  the  losing  side,  and  did  ever  a  side  look  more  hope- 
less than  that  of  the  Crucified  ?  Hear  the  testimony  of  the 
very  Disciples :  'We  hoped/  they  said,  'that  it  was  He  that 
should  have  redeemed  Israel.'  They  hoped  until  the  death 
on  the  cross  put  an  end  to  hope.  What  strength  of  faith 
was  requisite  to  see  in  that  Man  of  Sorrows  the  Messiah, 
the  Son  of  David  of  the  royal  race!  What  faith,  to  rise 
superior  to  the  opinion  of  the  rulers  of  society!  It  de- 
manded a  higher  faith  than  the  chosen  band  had,  at  least 

214 


WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

practically.     They  lacked,  indeed,  not  the  virtue  of  faith, 
but  the  will  to  exert  the  act. 

"Can  we  not  well  understand  the  case?  Does  not  our 
everyday  life  give  some  faint  image  of  like  conduct? 
Scarcely  a  day  passes  but  human  respect  nips  some  virtuous 
action  in  the  bud  ;  I  speak  feelingly,  for  it  is  my  own  history. 
We  call  this  truckling  by  euphonious  names  when  we  try  to 
apologize  for  it  to  ourselves.  It  sometimes  wears  the  garb 
of  humility.  We,  in  our  lowliness,  do  not  wish  to  attract 
attention,  we  wish  to  be  like  the  rest.  At  other  times  we 
like  to  think  the  chance  inopportune.  No  doubt  St.  Peter 
thought  the  question  of  the  maid-servant  so.  That  wasted 
opportunity  brought  on  another  and  another,  and  the  three 
combined  gave  him  cause  for  life-long  penance  and  sorrow. 
But,  dearest  sister,  you  need  rather  encouragement  than 
anything  else,  for  I  remember  well,  even  in  Protestant  days, 
how  you  braved  the  ridicule  of  the  family  and  eyed  your 
plate  for  dear  life.  It  was  modesty,  as  you  understood  it 
then,  severe,  repelling,  but  well  meaning.  What  you  could 
do  in  those  days  in  such  matters  with  less  spiritual  help,  you 
can  now  do  with  more  ease  and  edification.  Perhaps  you 
tell  me  that  prayer  seemed  easier  then  than  now ;  it  may  be 
so,  but  that  proves  nothing  at  all.  God's  criterion  is  not  the 
ease  with  which  we  work,  but  rather  the  difficulties  we  sur- 
mount, such  as  a  half  hour  spent  in  kittling  against  tempta- 
tions to  impatience  on  account  of  the  heat  or  ventilation,  or 
the  seeming  barrenness  or  want  of  interest  of  the  points 
given,  or  the  manner  in  which  they  are  given — all  small 
things,  surely,  in  themselves,  but  gigantic  when  they  play 
uj)on  the  imagination.  We  begin  to  wonder  at  the  stupidity 
and  indiscrimination  of  those  in  power.  We  could  give 
them  a  valuable  hint  or  two,  self-love  whispers,  forgetting 

215 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

that  we  have  come  into  religion,  not  to  have  our  own  way 
but  to  submit  to  crosses  and  contradictions  for  the  love  of 
God.  Sursum  Cor  da  I 

"Let  this  Easter-tide  be  a  resurrection  for  us.  We  have 
been  bound  down  by  earthly  things  long  enough.  We  have 
been  looking  too  much  through  colored  glasses,  the  color- 
ing matter  self-love.  We  will  break  them  and  see  things  in 
the  pure  white  light  of  truth.  We  must  make  some  gen- 
erous resolutions,  and  what  is  more,  we  should  begin  with- 
out delay  to  put  them  into  execution,  expecting  indeed  not 
great  victories  at  first,  but  cheerfully  bearing  up  under  occa- 
sional defeats. 

"I  am  almost  tempted  to  put  all  this  into  the  fire,  it  sounds 
so  trite  and  commonplace.  Our  Provincial,  Father  Fulton, 
is  making  his  visitation.  I  had  a  very  satisfactory  talk  with 
him,  although  I  have  but  little  chance  of  going  on  to  the- 
ology without  some  teaching,  there  is  such  a  demand  for 
professors  in  the  colleges,  and  so  many  scholastics  who  have 
finished  their  five  years'  term.  Justice  demands  that  they 
should  have  first  chance  for  theology.  It  will  be  a  new 
experience  for  me,  and  were  it  not  for  delaying  ordination 
I  have  really  a  wish  for  it.  However,  whatever  the  decision, 
I  am  perfectly  content.  I  shall  expect  the  worst.  .  .  . 
"Your  devoted  brother, 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER." 

The  Woodstock  community  of  which  Van  Rensselaer 
was  a  member  until  the  summer  of  1883,  was  not  only  very 
large,  but  cosmopolitan  as  well;  in  it  were  Belgians  and 
Germans,  Italians  and  Frenchmen,  Spaniards  and  Cana- 
dians, with  sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle  and  Englishmen, 
though  of  course  the  German  and  Irish-American  element 

216 


WOODSTOCK   COLLEGE 

predominated.  With  all  these  Van  Rensselaer  was  a  gen- 
eral favorite.  He  was  a  model  of  strict  observance,  never 
obtruding  himself  or  his  personal  history  or  his  opinions 
on  others,  and,  strange  to  say,  a  close  friend  of  men  of  the 
most  antagonistic  qualities.  Affable  towards  all,  he  showed, 
perhaps,  a  preference  for  associating  with  men  of  other 
provinces  or  nationalities,  and  exercised  without  effort  and 
without  pretense  a  remarkable  influence  among  his  com- 
panions, many  of  whom  were  younger  than  himself,  and  on 
that  account  lacking  in  experience. 

For  philosophical  studies  and  the  abstruse  generally,  he 
had  no  special  aptitude,  though  his  common-sense  way  of 
viewing  knotty  problems  caused  him  to  be  sought  after  by 
those  less  favored  with  natural  gifts.  He  was  always  ready 
to  lend  a  helping  hand.  He  was  a  rapid  penman  and  could 
take  down,  almost  verbatim,  the  lectures  of  the  professors. 
In  consequence  his  notes  were  in  great  demand  by  his  class- 
mates, but  no  matter  how  often  he  was  appealed  to  or  how 
ill-timed  the  appeal,  he  was  ever  ready  and  obliging. 


217 


CHAPTER    XIII. 
THE  CLASS-ROOM. 

THE  three  years  devoted  to  the  study  of  philosophy  were 
now  drawing  to  a  close,  and  in  the  summer  of  1883 
Van  Rensselaer  was  to  take  the  next  step  in  the  training  of 
a  young  Jesuit,  and  assume  the  responsibilities  of  a  teacher 
in  the  class-room.  His  first  assignment  was  to  St.  John's 
College,  Fordham,  where  he  remained  from  September, 
1883,  until  the  following  June.  His  interest  in  young  men 
began  to  manifest  itself  at  once.  To  him  was  assigned  the 
charge  of  the  Students'  Sodality  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  a 
task  than  which  no  other  more  to  his  liking  could  have  been 
selected. 

It  has  frequently  been  observed  that  men  who  have  in- 
fluence over  students  of  maturer  years  are  often  unable  to 
manage  the  callow  youths  just  entering  upon  their  teens. 
The  boy  was  a  riddle  which  Van  Rensselaer,  not  only  when 
he  was  in  charge  as  a  professor,  but  all  through  the  years 
of  his  ministry,  could  never  solve.  Not  that  he  was  not  a 
favorite  with  the  lads  with  whom  he  had  to  deal,  but  he 
was  too  kind-hearted  and  too  good-natured  to  exercise  the 
necessary  control. 

It  was  quite  otherwise  with  the  more  advanced  students 
who  formed  the  College  Sodality.  The  place  of  meeting 
was  the  Community  Chapel,  which  he  made  attractive  by 
the  addition  of  bright  frescoes,  a  handsome  new  altar,  and 
elaborate  chapel  furniture.  He  would  aid  their  devotion, 
but  he  would  also  provide  for  their  comfort.  In  the  sanc- 

218 


THE  CLASS-ROOM 

tuary  was  placed  a  quaint  little  bell  of  exquisite  workman- 
ship. He  had  found  it  somewhere  in  Germany  and  it  bore 
the  following  inscription  : — 

"Die  Kaiserglocke  heiss'  ich : 
Des  Kaisers  Ehren  preis'  ich ; 
Auf  heilger  Warte  steh'  ich, 
Dem  deutschen  Reich  erfleh'  ich 
Dass  Fried'  und  Wehr 
Ihm  Gott  bescheer." 

Which  may  be  rendered:— 

"The  Kaiser's  bell  am  1 ; 
And  Kaiser  praise  on  high ; 
From  belfry  'gainst  the  sky. 
For  German  land  I  cry : 
O  God,  her  peace  defend. 
O  God,  her  might  extend." 

Once  a  week  during  the  school  year  there  was  a  meeting, 
and  every  fortnight  an  instruction,  in  the  preparation  of 
which  Van  Rensselaer  put  forth  his  best  efforts  and  gave 
early  proof  of  his  deep  interest  in  young  men.  It  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  the  zealous  activity  of  these  college  days 
was  but  the  apprenticeship  for  his  more  extended,  though 
not  more  valuable,  work  in  the  ministry.  Among  his  papers 
is  a  blank-lxx>k  of  over  a  hundred  pages  containing  a  series 
of  "Sermonettes"  delivered  at  these  regular  meetings  of 
the  Sodality.  They  are  neatly  written  and  give  evidence 
of  exceptional  care  in  their  preparation.  The  character 
of  these  instructions  may  be  learned  from  a  glance  at  the 
index : — 

219 


LIFE   OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

1st.  On  the  dignity  of  a  Socialist 

2nd.  Aim  of  the  Sodality. 

3rd.  Self  Sanctification. 

4th.  Self  Examination. 

5th.  Advantages  of  Frequent  Communion. 

fith.  On  Purity.     (Feast  of  the  Purity  B.  V.  M.) 

7th.  On  the  Presence  of  God. 

8th.  Idea  of  a  Saint.     (All  Saints.) 

9th.  Souls  in  Purgatory. 

10th.  Vocation, 

llth.  On  Duty  of  Thanksgiving.     (Thanksgiving  Day 

Tide.) 

12th.  Preparation  for  the  Coming  of  Christ.      (First 

Sunday  in  Advent.) 

13th.  Spirit  of  Joy. 

14th.  The  Constituents  of  a  Happy  New  Year.  (Jan.  6.) 

15th.  Duty  and  Inclination. 

16th.  The  Use  of  a  Sodality  Badge. 

17th.  Purification  of  B.  V.  M. 

18th.  Character. 

19th.  Formation"  of  Character. 

20th.  Jesus  Christ,  Our  Ideal. 

21st.  Devotion. 

22nd.  Christian  Enthusiasm.     F.  Ozanam. 

23rd.  Humility. 

His  second  and  last  year  as  a  teacher  was  spent  at  Loyola 
College,  Baltimore.  No  doubt  it  was  a  sacrifice  to  be  taken 
away  from  Fordham  and  from  the  young  men  in  whom, 
with  the  fervor  of  his  new  work  upon  him,  he  had  taken 
so  lively  an  interest.  There  may  have  been  some  feeling  of 
disappointment  at  that,  or  of  discouragement  that  he  should 

220 


THE   CLASS-ROOM 

be  sent  from  New  York,  where  his  family  and  friends  were 
within  easy  reach,  and  that  he  should  be  called  upon  to  re- 
sume the  uncongenial  work  of  teaching.  If  there  was  any 
such  feeling  he  gave  no  indication  of  it  whatever,  but  strug- 
gled heroically  through  the  ordeal. 

Van  Rensselaer  had  the  true  idea  of  the  duty  of  the 
Jesuit  professor  towards  the  boys  or  young  men  under  his 
charge.  The  interest  in  them  begun  in  the  class-room  is  not 
to  end  there,  but  to  follow  the  young  man  after  he  leaves 
college,  and  to  become  one  of  his  most  valuable  assets  dur- 
ing his  whole  life.  In  Baltimore,  as  at  Fordham,  he  won 
the  hearts  of  his  pupils  and  became  their  life-long  friend. 

It  was  in  Baltimore  that  his  literary  activities  may  be  said 
to  have  begun.  As  shown  by  his  autobiographical  sketch, 
he  had  not  only  a  facile  pen,  but  a  keen  literary  instinct. 
His  style  is  distinctive  and  even  characteristic.  His  memoirs 
exhibit  a  vigorous,  graphic  way  of  putting  things,  a  hatred 
for  hypocrisy  and  cant,  a  bitterness,  at  times,  toward  those 
who  differed  with  him,  and  an  expression  of  his  feelings 
which  might  be  termed  playfully  sarcastic.  His  first  ven- 
ture in  print  was  the  composition  of  an  historical  drama,  in 
collaboration  with  a  confrere  of  the  professorial  staff.  The 
full  title  ran,  "King  Alfred,  an  Historical  Drama  in  Five 
Acts."  It  was  printed  for  the  occasion,  and  appeared  again 
in  a  second  edition  in  1893.  The  choice  of  King  Alfred  was 
a  happy  one,  as  it  proved  an  excellent  subject  for  the  college 
stage,  enabling  the  young  actors  to  venture  upon  something 
more  serious  and  profitable  than  the  farce  or  "adapted" 
comedy,  which  generally  forms  part  of  the  public  entertain- 
ments in  schools.  It  was  produced  in  the  fall  of  1884,  and 
met  with  great  success,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  in  the 
battle  scene,  duly  represented  on  the  college  stage,  all  the 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

participants  managed  to  be  slain  in  the  sanguinary  en- 
counter. The  book  received  from  the  London  Month  a  very 
flattering  notice,  which  we  reproduce  here: — 

"The  historical  drama  of  King  Alfred,  which  has  just 
been  produced  by  two  American  writers,  is  an  excellent  ver- 
sion of  the  well-known  story.  It  takes  some  liberties  with 
the  actual  sequence  of  events,  but  here  the  authors  have  the 
precedent  of  other  historical  plays  to  justify  them.  They 
have  introduced  the  legendary  incidents  of  the  King's  hid- 
ing in  the  swineherd's  hut,  the  burning  of  the  cakes,  the 
visit  in  disguise  to  the  Danish  camp,  and  the  rest.  The  play 
is  full  of  incident,  the  comic  element  has  not  been  forgotten, 
and  there  are  songs  for  which  music  has  been  provided,  to 
give  scope  for  the  vocal  powers  of  the  performer.  With  the 
exception  of  some  humorous  passages,  the  play  is  in  blank 
verse,  and  it  contains  not  a  few  really  beautiful  lines." 

As  the  Christmas  season  drew  nigh,  his  pen  was  ready 
with  another  drama  which,  as  befitting  the  occasion,  was 
more  religious  and  devotional.  It  was  the  legend  of  good 
King  Wenceslaus,  and  was  acted  by  the  students  on  Christ- 
mas Eve,  as  an  academic  exercise  before  their  departure  for 
the  holidays.  The  theme  was  the  charity  of  the  King  to  the 
poor ;  the  time,  the  eve  of  Christmas,  and  the  moral  obvious 
even  to  the  untutored. 

As  Van  Rensselaer  was  still  a  scholastic,  and  free  from 
the  work  of  the  ministry,  he  employed  his  leisure  in  these 
and  similar  literary  pursuits,  helping,  at  least  indirectly,  the 
whole  student  body,  and  fostering  a  college  spirit  among 
them. 

He  wrote  still  another  drama.  "Felician,"  portraying  the 
life  of  the  earlv  Christians,  which  reads  like  a  dramatized 


THE  CLASS-ROOM 

chapter  or  two  of  Wiseman's  "Fabiola."  Then  came  a  lec- 
ture in  February,  still  in  MS.,  on  Early  Phases  of  Christian 
Art,  which  formed  one  of  a  series  delivered  by  members  of 
the  College  Faculty.  Another  interesting  fragment  from  a 
never  finished  drama  of  "Clerical  Life,"  furnishes  an  addi- 
tional proof  that  his  pen  was  not  idle. 

About  this  time  his  interest  in  missionary  work  was  re- 
newed, and  he  wrote  several  valuable  papers  on  the  Indian 
question,  including  a  "Sketch  of  the  Catholic  Church  in 
Montana,"  "The  Apostle  of  Alaska,  Archbishop  Seghers," 
both  of  which  appeared  in  the  American  Catholic  Quarterly 
Review,  and  a  "Plea  for  the  Indians,"  in  the  Catholic  World 
for  March,  1886.  To  appreciate  the  motive  of  his  writing 
on  these  subjects  it  may  be  well  to  state  that,  while  teaching 
at  Loyola,  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  offer  himself  for  the 
Indian  Missions.  The  reasons  which  induced  him  to  take 
this  step  were  manifold.  He  was  aware  that  he  was  not  a 
success  in  the  class-room,  and  in  the  missionary  field  there 
was  plenty  of  other  work  in  which  he  might  prove  more 
successful.  A  thought  which  particularly  appealed  to  him 
was,  that  the  Indians  had  a  claim  upon  the  descendants  of 
those  who  held  their  lands,  and  at  that  time  his  family  was 
still  in  possession  of  such  lands.  Then,  too,  Americans,  he 
fancied,  could,  in  the  far  West,  labor  more  effectively  than 
foreigners;  they  might  understand  better  the  character  of 
the  settlers  with  whom  the  Indians  come  in  contact,  and 
they  could  better  represent  to  the  Government  officials,  both 
high  and  low,  the  grievances  of  the  al>origines  and  defend 
them  by  voice  and  pen  against  the  encroachments  or  the  in- 
justices of  the  whites;  and  why,  he  added,  should  Ameri- 
cans sit  still  and  deplore  the  great  lack  of  missionaries,  and 
yet  not  volunteer  to  make  good  the  deficiency?  In  the 


LIFE   OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

Maryland-New  York  province  there  seemed  to  be  no  dearth 
of  laborers,  but  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  find  recruits  for 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  spiritual  aspect  of  this  self-immolation  commended 
itself  above  aught  else,  for  he  was  convinced  that  this 
greater  sacrifice  on  his  part  would  be  fruitful  even  for  those 
of  his  family  who  were  still  Protestants,  and,  after  all,  was 
he  not  but  following  up  the  first  inclination  he  had  as  a 
Catholic,  to  be  a  missionary  in  Africa?  These  reasons,  and 
the  dislike  he  had  for  a  life  of  comparative  ease,  urged  him 
to  make  the  sacrifice.  Accordingly,  he  laid  the  matter  be- 
fore his  superiors  and  with  their  approval  wrote  to  the  Gen- 
eral at  Rome  asking  to  be  transferred  to  the  Mission  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  It  speaks  well  for  his  missionary  zeal, 
for  his  spirit  of  -detachment  from  places  and  persons,  that 
he  was  not  only  willing  to  offer,  but  actually  offered  himself 
for  this  arduous  missionary  work,  and  had  no  feeling  but 
one  of  joy  at  the  prospect. 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  his  petition  was  granted, 
and  the  transfer  was  made.  His  name  was  dropped  from 
the  Province  roll  and  duly  entered  among  the  members  of 
the  Rocky  Mountain  Mission.  On  the  Feast  of  the  Immac- 
ulate Conception,  1884,  at  the  foot  of  Our  Lady's  Altar,  he 
made  the  following  vow : — 

LOYOLA  COLLEGE,  BALTIMORE,  MD. 
Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  1884. 

I.  Henry  Van  Rensselaer,  Scholastic  of  the  So- 
ciety of  Jesus,  do,  on  this  day,  the  Patronal  Feast 
of  the  Church  in  the  United  States,  solemnly  offer 
and  devote  myself  forever  to  the  Apostolate  of  the 
224 


THE   CLASS-ROOM 

Indian  Mission  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  so  help  me 
God,  Our  Lady,  Our  Holy  Father  Ignatius  and  St. 
Francis  Xavier,  Apostle  of  the  Indies. 
Amen. 

HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER,  SJ. 
L.  D.  S. 

It  is  easy  for  us  to  look  back  and  admire  God's  way  of 
dealing  with  this  noble  soul.  Had  this  change  been  effected 
the  Far  West  would  have  gained  another  missionary,  but 
New  York  would  have  lost  an  apostle.  The  "divinity  that 
shapes  our  ends,  rough-hew  them  how  we  will,"  was  pre- 
paring his  soul  for  the  work  of  converting  the  sinner  by 
re-casting  his  character  in  the  heroic  mould  of  self-sacrifice. 
He  might  never  reach  the  object  of  his  desires,  but  the  am- 
bition to  be  worthy  of  it  and  to  fit  himself  for  it,  was  the 
secret  alembic  that  transformed  him  into  an  apostle.  The 
great  St.  Francis  Xavier  yearned  for  the  conversion  of 
China,  and  died  before  he  touched  the  shores.  Yet  he  is 
the  Apostle  of  China,  in  intent  and  purpose,  and  to  his 
brilliant  coronal  of  triumphs  he  has  added  new  lustre 
through  his  longing  to  add  to  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  the 
vast  multitudes  of  the  Celestial  Empire. 

Henry  Van  Rensselaer's  hopes  of  laboring  among  the 
Indians,  for  whose  salvation  he  had  solemnly  pledged  his 
life,  were  never  realized,  but  who  will  be  bold  enough  to 
say  that  the  glory  of  his  apostolic  life  among  the  sick  and 
the  poor  is  not  enhanced  before  God  by  the  act  of  generosity 
which  prompted  him  to  offer  the  best  that  was  in  him  for 
the  salvation  of  the  ill-treated  and  neglected  red-man? 

We  have  at  our  disposal  only  one  letter  coming  from 
Baltimore.  It  was  written  to  Sister  Dolores  and  is  a  beau- 

225 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

tiful  expression  of  the  thoughts  which  refreshed  his  spirit. 
In  it  we  get  a  glimpse  of  a  very  tender  devotion  to  the 
Blessed  Virgin. 

"LOYOLA  COLLEGE, 

"Baltimore,  1885. 

"A  happy  coincidence  of  Our  Lady's  feast  with  one  of 
the  most  glorious  of  the  year,  and  appropriate,  too,  for  how 
was  she  the  Help  of  Christians  except  by  being  the  Spouse 
of  the  Holy  Ghost?  The  devotion  to  the  Holy  Ghost  has 
always  been  one  of  my  favorites ;  it  does  not  necessarily  re- 
quire practices  that  would  occupy  much  time,  an  occasional 
'Gloria'  during  the  day  in  thanksgiving  for  all  his  benefits. 
We  do  not  thank  God  enough ;  the  Psalmist  says :  'His 
praise  shall  be  ever  in  my  mouth.'  Nothing  so  gracious  as 
thanksgiving.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  the  author  and  inspirer 
of  grace.  On  His  motion  do  we  depend  for  every  merito- 
rious thought,  word  and  action.  To  Him  we  owe  all  the 
Sacraments  and  all  His  seven-fold  gifts.  Are  not  these 
motives  for  special  devotion?  We  shall  never  know  until 
we  see  her  face  to  face  what  Our  Lady  has  been  to  us.  Just 
is  one  never  realizes  how  much  one's  own  mother  is  to  one 
until  separation  proves  how  quietly,  unobtrusively,  lovingly, 
she  has  been  rendering  us  continual  services.  In  Mary's 
case  we  shall  never  find  out  by  separation,  but  in  the  light 
of  the  Beatific  Vision  all  will  be  made  plain  to  us.  ^  I  attrib- 
ute my  vocation  to  her,  remembering  what  an  impression 
the  title,  'Queen  of  the  Society  of  Jesus'  made  upon  me 
when  I  first  heard  it  at  West  Park. 

"It  drew  me  to.  desire  to  be  her  special  subject  in  this,  her 
kingdom.  I  came  across  a  saying  in  a  book  relating  to  the 
Christian  life:  'Si  on  est  moins  qu'un  heros,  on  devient 

226 


THE  CLASS-ROOM 

moins  qu'un  homme';  it  seemed  to  me  that  we  might  put 
it  in  this  way:  'Si  on  est  moins  qu'un  saint,  on  devient 
moins  qu'un  religieux.'  To  avoid  this  we  must  set  to  work 
in  earnest  to  become  saints.  Let  us  run  a  race — I  challenge 
you.  This  year  of  college  life  has  been  given  me  by  Our 
Lord  for  a  time  of  reparation." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 
ORDAINED  A  PRIEST. 

TN  the  fall  of  1885,  Van  Rensselaer  began  his  theological 
•^  studies  at  Woodstock  preparatory  to  ordination.  The 
fact  that  he  had  now  the  Rocky  Mountains  Missions  to  look 
forward  to  filled  him  with  enthusiasm,  and  his  pen  was  ac- 
tive in  behalf  of  the  Indians.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he 
wrote  to  his  sister: 

"WOODSTOCK  COLLEGE, 

"September  19,  1885. 

"I  am  glad  to  be  once  more  settled  and  at  work.  I  have 
got  the  one  thing  I  needed  to  add  to  my  means  of  perfecting 
myself,  and  that  is  the  missionary  vocation.  I  am  now  as 
light-hearted  and  merry  as  a  boy.  There  are  several  as- 
pirants to  the  mission  here,  and  Alaska  is  to  some  the  land 
of  promise,  desired  because  of  its  privations — the  spirit  of 
St.  Ignatius  still  breathing  in  his  children.  Do  you  see  the 
'fervorinos'  on  the  Indians  and  Alaska  in  the  Catholic  Re- 
view? Perhaps  you  recognize  the  hand?*' 

The  following  letters,  addressed  likewise  to  Sister 
Dolores,  display  not  only  an  intense  desire  to  advance  stead- 
ily in  the  pathway  of  sanctification,  but  an  anxiety  to  have 
her  also  profit  by  the  experiences  in  the  spiritual  life  which 
he  was  daily  undergoing.  Apart  from  the  help  they  furnish 
towards  a  better  understanding  of  the  process  by  which  his 
character  was  moulded,  they  may  be  found  useful  for  those 


ORDAINED   A   PRIEST 

in  the  cloister  or  outside  of  it  who  would  be  guided  by 
supernatural  principles  in  the  ordinary  affairs  of  life. 

"WOODSTOCK, 

"Feast  of  Immac.  Cone.,  1885. 
"Mv  DEAR  SISTER  DOLORES: 

"P.  C 

"It  seems  to  me  a  very  long  time  since  I  wrote  to  you 
last.  Why  I  have  been  so  remiss,  I  cannot  say.  The  best 
thing  is  to  repair  the  omission.  We  have  finished  a  triduum 
l>efore  the  semi-annual  renovation  of  our  vows.  It  was  a 
treat,  for  we  had  Father  Maguire  to  give  it.  There  is  some- 
thing magnetic  about  him.  All  that  he  says  is  very  simple, 
but  very  impressive,  owing  to  the  way  in  which  he  says  it. 
The  real  force  is,  I  think,  his  personal  holiness.  That  makes 
the  apostle;  that  wins  souls  and  stirs  up  the  lukewarm  into 
a  glow.  That  is  something  by  which  you  too  can  l>e  an 
ajjostle,  for  it  is  common  to  all  those  devoted  to  God.  What 
other  reason  had  we  for  becoming  religious  than  to  become 
holy?  It  was  that  which  (iod  willed  for  us  when  in  His 
mysterious  wisdom  He  chose  and  called  us,  to  draw  us 
nearer  to  Himself,  to  be  among  His  own  immediate  famil- 
iar friends,  close  to  His  own  Person,  to  shower  upon  us 
constant  proofs  of  His  love  and  friendship.  'This  is  the 
will  of  Clod,  even  our  sanctification.'  Is  it  our  will  too?  Is 
it  an  efficacious  will  which  directs  the  use  of  means  to  gain 
that  end?  Oh,  how  comparatively  easy  it  is  to  acquire  holi- 
ness! We  have  only  to  use  the  means  within  our  reach. 
No  heights  of  meditation  and  contemplation  are  required, 
no  macerations  of  the  Ixuly  absolutely  needful,  no  extraor- 
dinary works  to  be  wrought.  We  have  only  to  live  in  union 
with  Jesus  Christ  and  His  Blessed  \fother,  only  to  fulfil 

229 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

each  little  insignificant  duty  as  it  presents  itself  for  His 
sake;  in  a  word,  only  to  correspond  with  the  grace  and  in- 
spiration He  gives  us,  only  to  obey  Him  in  our  superiors. 
Not  a  hard  task,  it  may  seem,  but  still  it  is;  the  very  easi- 
ness of  it  makes  it  hard,  strange  as  that  sounds.  We  could 
force  ourselves  to  do  great  and  out-of-the-way  things  more 
easily  perhaps  than  small,  commonplace  things.  We  find 
an  hour's  or  a  half-hour's  meditation  a  hard  and  irksome 
work  perhaps,  yet  we  may  delude  ourselves  by  imagining 
ourselves  capable  of  a  life  of  contemplation.  We  offer  our- 
selves as  victims  for  ignominy  and  insult,  yet  we  turn  pale 
and  are  indignant  if  anyone  seems  to  treat  us  with  less  than 
ordinary  respect.  We  would  perform  wonderful  feats  of 
fasting ;  we  cannot  even  put  up  with  the  food  set  before  us 
without  grumbling  at  least  in  our  hearts.  Yet  God  asks 
really  so'little  of  us.  'Age  quod  agis!'  Whatever  you  do, 
do  it  with  all  your  heart.  That  makes  the  saint.  That  made 
the  sanctity  of  good  Father  Sadlier,*  for  I  believe  that  he 
was  a  saint,  ever  forgetful  of  himself,  ever  mindful  of 
others,  self-sacrificing  to  a  fault.  Devout,  but  without  os- 
tentation, a  piety  that  charmed  and  won  affection.  I  had 
the  happiness  of  spending  three  weeks  at  the  Boston  Villa 
with  him,  and  there  I  discovered  his  virtues  and  rejoice  to 
have  known  him,  for  he  was  a  true  son  of  Ignatius,  ripe  for 
Heaven,  and  so  we  lost  him. 

"  .  .  .  One  thought  seemed  to  run  through  the  whole 
of  our  retreat  this  year  which  may  be  useful  to  you.  Con- 
formity to  the  will  of  God  is  the  touchstone  which  turns  all 


*  Francis  Xavier  Sadlier,  S.J.,  mentioned  in  this  letter,  was  the  son 
of  Mrs.  James  Sadlier,  the  well-known  writer.  He  died  at  Holy  Cross 
College,  Worcester,  Mass.,  on  the  fourteenth  of  November,  1885,  with 
a  great  repute  for  holiness. 

230 


ORDAINED   A   PRIEST 

to  gold.  Nature  rebels  at  something  said  or  ordered,  some- 
thing unpleasant.  It  is  the  will  of  God.  Why  should  I 
rebel  against  it?  It  is  unpleasant  only  because  I  put  myself 
in  opposition  to  it.  How  much  the  imagination  has  to  do 
with  our  judgments !  It  should  not  be  so ;  but  still  it  is  so. 
God  wants  it  of  me.  Is  not  this  sufficient  motive  to  make 
sweet  anything  bitter?  But,  one  will  say,  I  don't  like  it. 
Don't  like  what  God  wishes?  Let  him  make  an  act  of  faith, 
and,  by  the  help  of  God,  he  will  like  it.  The  battle  is  over, 
the  struggle  is  at  an  end.  It  seemed  to  me  that  this  one 
thought  would,  if  made  a  constant  companion  to  be  con- 
sulted on  all  occasions,  make  us  saints  in  a  very  short  time. 
It  has  done  so  in  times  past,  why  not  then  in  ours? 

"Try  this  receipt  and  tell  me  if  you  do  not  find  it  palata- 
ble. I'm  so  glad  to  have  the  chance  of  assisting  at  a  Bene- 
diction in  your  beautiful  chapel.  In  two  years,  D.  V.,  I 
hope  to  give  it  myself.  Oh,  how  holy  one  should  be  to  lie 
entrusted  with  such  an  office! 

"Pray  then  for  me,  and  commend  me  to  your  good  sis- 
ters in  religion.  .  .  . 

"Ever  your  affectionate  brother, 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER,  S.J." 

"Mv  DEAR  SISTER  DOLORES:  "January  31,  1886. 

"P.  C. 

"I  don't  think  that  I  have  written  to  you  this  year,  so  I 
had  better  l>egin  before  the  first  month  has  passed.  I  was 
quite  shocked  at  -  — 's  death,  coming  as  it  did  so  suddenly. 
I  hope  it  found  him  well  prepared.  It  must  be  a  great  trial 
to  his  wife. 

"I  sent  her  a  most  consoling  account  of  the  death  of  the 
celebrated  Father  Hermann's  mother.  You  remember  he 

231 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

was  the  wonderful  musician,  pupil  of  Liszt,  a  friend  of 
Georges  Sand,  Mario,  and  others — a  Jew,  miraculously  con- 
verted by  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  He  afterwards  became 
a  Carmelite,  was  distinguished  for  his  sanctity,  and  died  a 
martyr  of  charity  attending  the  soldiers  in  the  Franco-Prus- 
sian war.  Well,  the  aim  of  his  life  was  the  conversion  of 
his  family,  and  especially  of  his  mother.  In  spite  of  all  his 
efforts  she  died  a  Jewess  apparently,  to  his  intense  grief. 
He  spoke  of  it  to  the  Cure  d'Ars,  who  told  him  that  six 
years  later,  on  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  he 
would  have  good  news.  The  six  years  passed,  and  on  the 
day  named  Father  Hermann  received  a  letter  through  a 
Jesuit  Father  from  a  lady,  who,  after  edifying  the  world 
by  her  piety  and  by  the  devotional  books  she  wrote,  died  in 
the  odor  of  sanctity.  To  make  a  long  story  short  she  re- 
ceived a  revelation  in  which  the  whole  scene  of  Father 
Hermann's  mother's  death  was  shown  to  her.  After  the 
last  breath,  or  at  least  when  it  seemed  that  she  had  lost  con- 
sciousness and  had  ceased  to  breathe,  Our  Blessed  Lady 
threw  herself  before  the  throne  of  her  Son  and  begged  as 
a  special  favor  to  her,  the  soul  of  the  mother  of  her  servant 
Hermann,  who  had  so  faithfully  served  her  and  had  com- 
mitted to  her  keeping  the  soul  of  his  mother  a  thousand 
times.  She  implored  Our  Lord  not  to  allow  this  precious 
soul  to  be  lost,  and  the  petition  was  granted,  for  straight- 
way a  mighty  grace  was  given  to  the  dying  Jewess ;  in  a 
flash  she  saw  the  whole  truth  and  cried  out  interiorly:  'O 
Jesus!  God  of  the  Christians,  the  God  whom  my  son  adores, 
I  believe  in  Thee,  I  hope  in  Thee,  have  pity  on  me,'  and 
she  was  saved.  The  lady  was  bidden  by  Our  Lord  to  com- 
municate this  to  Father  Hermann  for  his  consolation,  and 
as  a  proof  of  the  power  of  Our  Blessed  Lady  over  the 

232 


ORDAINED   A   PRIEST 

Sacred  Heart  of  her  Divine  Son.  Did  you  ever  hear  any- 
thing more  consoling  and  strengthening  than  this?  It  has 
given  me  a  new  impulse  in  the  spiritual  life,  a  strong  deter- 
mination to  show  myself,  as  St.  Ignatius  says,  remarkable 
in  God's  service. 

''The  whole  life  of  Father  Hermann  is  very  striking  and 
lias  had  a  wonderful  effect  on  me,  showing  me  how  ungrate- 
ful I  am,  I,  who  like  him,  have  received  so  many  extraor- 
dinary graces,  and  yet  am  so  backward  in  perfection  after 
seven  years  of  religious  life.  Let  it  animate  us  both  to 
greater  efforts.  Is  it  not  shameful  that  we  should  be  such 
ordinary  religious,  yielding  to  so  many  pettinesses  and 
weaknesses,  and  scarcely  ashamed  of  them,  excusing  them 
as  common  to  our  nature?  Common,  indeed,  they  are,  but 
we.  who  are  vessels  of  election,  should  triumph  over  them. 
\Ye  haven't  confidence  enough  in  God,  we  haven't  the  idea 
ever  before  our  minds  that  God  expects  more  of  those  to 
whom  He  has  given  more.  We  don't  dare  attempt  great 
things,  and  what  are  great  things?  prolonged  prayer,  and 
fasting,  etc.  ?  Not  necessarily,  but  the  greatest  thing  is  self- 
immolation,  self-conquest,  to  which  we  can  turn  every  ac- 
tion of  our  lives,  every  word  we  speak.  We  shall  never  be 
truly  and  solidly  at  |>eace  and  full  of  joy  until  we  rest  not 
in  self,  but  hi  God  alone;  never  happy  until  our  thoughts 
turn  naturally  to  God  without  our  bidding,  until  all  we  do  is 
done  for  Him:  if  done  for  Him,  everything  will  become 
sweet  in  the  doing,  everything  will  l>e  well  done,  for  we  are 
not  servants,  but  sons  of  His  love.  Pray  much  for  my  ad- 
vancement ;  it  is  so  easy  to  grow  weary  and  work  by  fits 
and  starts,  in  which  case  we  accomplish  nothing. 
"Ever  your  devoted  brother, 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER,  SJ." 
233 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

"April  23,  1880. 
"My  DEAR  SISTER  DOLORES: 

"P.  C. 

"I  want  these  few  lines  of  greeting  to  reach  you  by 
Easter,  and  therefore  I  write  to-day.  I  hope  that  you  have 
been  able  to  take  part  in  some  of  the  Holy  Week  services. 
Ours  have  been,  so  far,  very  devotional.  I  am  always  for- 
tunate in  being  in  the  choir,  so  that  I  have  an  active  part. 
Besides  this,  I  painted  a  beautiful  Paschal  candle.  I  tried 
my  hand  last  year  with  a  certain  amount  of  success,  and  I 
felt  encouraged  to  offer  to  paint  one  for  the  Chapel  this 
year.  It  is  very  elaborate.  I  put  on  some  brilliant  crimson 
bands,  relieved  with  tracery  of  black  and  gold,  and  in  the 
first  division  I  placed  the  cross,  where  the  blessed  grains  of 
incense  go,  filled  out  in  bright  blue  and  gold.  In  the  panel 
above  are  two  palms  crossed,  representing  victory  over 
death  and  hell ;  above  comes  a  butterfly,  emblem  of  the  res- 
urrection, then  the  monogram  of  the  first  two  letters  in  the 
Greek  name  of  Christ  X.  P.  (Chi,  Rho)  and  above  all  the 
crown. 

"A  thought  that  has  made  a  deep  impression  on  me  these 
last  few  days,  especially  yesterday  (Maundy  Thursday),  is 
the  necessity  of  practical  charity  in  our  thoughts.  I  say 
practical,  because  we  have  it  in  abundance  theoretically; 
what  we  need  is  the  practice.  .  .  ." 

As  the  day  of  his  ordination  to  the  priesthood  approached, 
his-'happiness  increased.  No  wonder;  it  would  mark  the 
end  of  long  years  of  preparation  and  the  consummation  of 
the  longings  of  a  lifetime.  He  would  shortly  appear  in  a 
new  role  as  the  representative  of  the  Good  Shepherd  seek- 
ing the  lost  sheep  within  and  without  the  fold,  and  dispens- 

234 


ing  the  Divine  mercies  to  the  sons  of  men.  No  one  could 
act  the  part  well  who  had  not  studied  the  character  he  was 
to  portray  and  imbued  himself  with  the  spirit  of  the  Divine 
Master. 

In  April,  1886,  he  wrote  :— 

"I  have  never  felt  better  than  during  this  Lent;  so  you 
see  theology  agrees  with  me.  I  am  not  sorry,  though,  that 
a  year  out  of  the  course  is  nearly  gone;  a  year  nearer  the 
end.  Next  year  at  this  time  I  hope  to  be  practising  the 
ceremonies  of  the  Mass.  Pray  that  I  may  become  more  self- 
sacrificing  and  unselfish.  It  is  so  necessary  in  a  priest,  above 
all  in  a  Jesuit,  and  most  of  all  in  a  missionary.  I  take  the 
greatest  comfort  and  delight  in  the  thought  of  the  missions. 
What  a  debt  we  have  to  pay  the  Indians!" 

In  the  month  of  May  he  dwells  upon  a  thought  from  one 
of  his  meditations. 

"We  had  our  triduum  last  week  and  the  Renovation  on 
Sunday.  A  thought  that  came  to  me  most  forcibly  was  the 
'Quid  ad  te?  Tu  me  sequere.'  Why  do  we  lose  our  peace 
of  mind?  Very  often  by  worrying  and  meddling  about 
others.  Quid  ad  le?  What  business  is  it  of  mine?  I  came 
into  religion  to  sanctify  myself  primarily.  If  others  have 
this  or  that  defect,  quid  ad  te?  Attend  to  yourself,  and  you 
will  have  more  than  enough  to  do  in  following  Christ.  How 
can  we  keep  step  with  Him  if  we  are  perpetually  turning 
aside  to  follow  others?  Sequere  me — that  is  our  work,  to 
follow  Christ,  and  that  demands  all  our  attention.  We  shall 
accomplish  most  for  others  by  closely  following  Him,  for 
did  He  not  go  about  doing  good?  Living  charity  is  the 
most  powerful  preacher,  and  example  does  more  than  elo- 

235 


LIFE   OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAEfc 

quent  words.     Our  Blessed  Lady  will  be  as  she  has  always 
been,  our  Auxilium." 

Six  months  later,  on  the  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception, he  speaks  of  a  renewed  and  strengthened  purpose 
to  become  holy. 

"Our  triduum  is  over  and  has  brought  me  great  peace 
of  mind  and  a  strong  determination  to  make  a  new  start. 
Rather  a  shameful  confession  that,  after  eight  years  of 
religious  life. 

"But  were  not  these  very  renewals  of  our  vows  intended 
for  this  very  purpose?  It  is  a  great  grace  not  to  be  dis- 
couraged at  one's  failures.  Disgusted  with  ourselves  we 
may  be,  but  the  grace  of  God  is  so  strong,  the  intercession 
of  our  Mother  so  powerful,  the  prayers  of  our  saints  so 
fruitful,  that  \ve  must  say,  'I  can  do  all  in  Him  who 
strengtheneth  me.'  Courage,  then,  and  confidence,  and  we 
shall  see  what  Christmas  will  bring  us." 

When  the  day  set  for  his  ordination  was  announced  his 
joy  knew  no  bounds,  as  is  attested  by  the  brief  extracts 
from  his  correspondence  here  given : — 

"WOODSTOCK, 

"March  28,  1887. 

"On  Friday,  the  Feast  of  the  Compassion  of  the  most 
Holy  Virgin,  I  shall  begin  an  eight  days'  retreat  to  prepare 
for  the  crowning  happiness  of  my  life,  my  priesthood.  I 
have  permission  to  be  ordained  in  New  York  on  the  eve  of 
Trinity  Sunday.  It  all  seems  too  good  to  be  true,  and  I  al- 
most dread  at  times  that  it  is  a  dream — only  two  months 
more.  I  have  the  loftiest  ideal  of  what  I  should  be.  but  oh, 

236 


ORDAINED   A   PRIEST 

how  far  off  from  it  I  am!  This  Holy  Week  must  be  the 
turning  point  in  my  life  and  the  beginning  of  a  risen  life 
of  unselfish  devotion." 

"EASTER  EVE, 

"April  9,  1887. 

"I  never  had  two  happier  days  than  those  on  which  I  re- 
ceived the  two  steps  to  the  altar.  Bishop  Curtis  pontificated, 
and  it  added  much  to  my  joy  to  have  him.  I  have  just  fin- 
ished acting  as  deacon  at  this  morning's  ceremonies,  in 
which  I  sang  the  'Exultet'  and  that  beautiful  'Ite  missa  est, 
alleluia.' " 

The  Eve  of  Trinity  Sunday,  1887,  saw  Father  Van  Rens- 
selaer  raised  to  the  dignity  of  the  priesthood.  The  cere- 
mony took  place  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  New  York,  with 
Archbishop  Corrigan  officiating.  The  next  day  the  newly 
ordained  priest  said  his  Mass  with  much  fervor  in  the 
Church  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  and  a  day  or  two  later  re- 
turned to  Woodstock  to  complete  his  studies  in  theology 
and  prepare  as  he  thought  for  the  Indian  Missions. 

The  life  he  was  now  entering  upon  was  altogether  new 
—the  life  of  a  priest.  Hitherto  his  uppermost  thought  and 
endeavor  had  been  his  own  sanctification;  henceforth  he 
was  to  blend  with  that  the  sanctification  of  his  neighbor. 
He  felt,  though  he  did  not  express  it  in  words,  that  a  new 
spirit  had  come  over  him,  that  with  special  significance 
might  be  applied  to  him  the  words  of  Scripture:  The  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  is  upon  me  wherefore  He  hath  anointed  me;  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor  He  hath  sent  me,  to  heal  the 
contrite  of  heart* ;  and  with  the  graces  of  his  ordination  im- 
parting this  new  life,  he  began  that  silent  apostolate  for 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

which  he  was  to  become  so  noted  later.  We  are  not  left 
altogether  in  the  dark  as  to  his  first  works  of  zeal,  nor  are 
we  surprised  to  find  that  he  began  on  the  most  unpromising 
material,  the  tramps.  The  following  letter  came  from 
Woodstock  some  time  in  the  spring  of  1888 : — 

"The  hour  of  the  Holy  Sacrifice  is  the  happiest  one  of 
the  day  for  me,  and  Holy  Week  will  indeed  be  one  of  pen- 
ance, when  we  shall  have  to  forego  the  Offering  for  three 
days. 

"I  have  had  great  consolations  lately  with  my  tramps; 
one,  well  educated  and  well  connected,  a  Protestant,  came 
three  weeks  ago.  I  took  an  interest  in  his  case  and  brought 
him  into  the  parlor,  encouraged  him  and  tried  to  restore  his 
self-respect.  I  gave  him  a  Catholic  book  to  read  while  I 
was  in  class  and  explained  some  Catechism  to  him.  When 
he  left  me  after  a  few  hours,  he  had  learned  to  make  the 
Sign  of  the  Cross  and  the  Hail  Mary,  and  had  formed  a 
firm  resolution  to  become  a  Catholic.  I  recommended  him 
to  invoke  St.  Joseph  for  a  position.  He  did  so,  and  has  now 
a  place  in  the  best  dry-goods  house  in  Baltimore  with  a 
salary  of  eighteen  dollars  a  week.  Is  not  that  a  triumph  of 
the  Sacred  Heart?  He  said:  'I  never  knew  what  prayer 
was  before.' 

"There  are  many  other  instances,  too;  one,  a  Jew  of 
twenty-five,  who  had  passed  himself  off  as  a  Catholic,  so 
that  a  companion,  a  real  Catholic,  always  believed  him  to 
be  one.  I  exhorted  both  to  confession  and  put  before  them 
clearly  the  end  for  which  they  were  created.  They  had 
their  supper  and  went  off  to  a  hay-rick,  where  my  transient 
boarders  lodge.  There  the  Jew  confessed  the  truth  to  his 
companion,  but  said  he  wanted  to  become  a  Catholic,  and 

238 


ORDAINED   A   PRIEST 

the  other  resolved,  after  many  years,  to  square  his  accounts. 
The  next  morning  they  came  to  breakfast  and  begged  to 
remain  another  day.  The  Jew  had  learned  the  Our  Father, 
Hail  Mary,  Creed  and  Act  of  Contrition,  and  insisted  on 
being  baptized.  I  put  him  off  with  an  evasive  answer  and 
made  him  study  Catechism  all  that  day.  In  the  meantime  I 
consulted  Father  Rector,  and  he  said:  'If  he  knows  suffi- 
cient Catechism  and  what  he  is  doing,  he  might,  under  the 
circumstances,  be  baptized.'  So,  after  Mass  the  next  day- 
it  was  a  holiday,  the  22d  of  February — I  went  through  the 
whole  Christian  doctrine  with  him  and  then  baptized  him. 
Happily,  one  of  the  workmen  left  that  day,  and  Father  Min- 
ister told  me  I  might  keep  both  men.  They  have  been  here 
a  month  and  give  great  edification  in  every  way;  another 
triumph  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  I  think  I  have  found  my  vo- 
cation in  the  Society,  the  waifs  and  wanderers.  'The  poor 
have  the  gospel  preached  to  them.'  Not  that  I  have  given 
up  the  Indians,  far  from  it,  but  there  are  hosts  of  neglected 
men  in  the  Far  West,  waiting  for  some  one  to  stretch  out 
a  hand  to  them." 

On  Christmas  day,  he  wrote :  "As  you  see,  I  am  at  home 
this  year.  We  had  Midnight  Mass,  at  which  I  assisted, 
then  rested  till  five,  when  I  began  my  three  Masses.  I  had 
everything  beautiful  about  me,  the  decorated  chapel,  hand- 
some vestments,  and  rich  sacred  vessels,  but  no  congrega- 
tion to  assist.  Next  year  I  hope  I  shall  be  in  the  Mountains 
with  a  crowd  of  faithful  Indians,  or  cowboys,  or  whites,  it 
does  not  matter  much,  provided  there  are  souls  to  be  helped. 
It  is  hard  for  me  to  hold  niyself  in.  I  have  had  such  an 
abundance  of  zeal,  which  will,  I  hope,  have  an  outlet  in 
about  three  months.  After  all.  what  is  the  greatest  work 

288 


LIFE   OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

in  the  sight  of  God?  Our  sanctification.  This  is  the  thing 
to  be  kept  in  view.  God  wants  me  to  be  a  saint;  if  I  am 
faithful  He  will  work  great  things  for  His  glory  through 
me.  How?  That  is  for  Him  to  determine." 

In  the  last  year  at  Woodstock,  Father  Van  Rensselaer 
had  occasion  to  send  his  congratulations  and  good  wishes  to 
a  kinswoman,  a  convert,  who  was  nearing  the  end  of  her 
novitiate  and  was  about  to  consecrate  herself  by  the  usual 
vows  to  the  service  of  God  in  the  religious  state.  It  will  be 
seen  from  the  letter  that  he  could  turn  to  good  account  for 
others  the  fruit  of  his  own  meditations. 

"WOODSTOCK  COLLEGE, 

"Howard  County,  Maryland, 

"November  19,  1888. 
"DEAR  SISTER  MARGARET  MARY: 

"This  will  reach  you,  I  hope,  on  the  day  of  your  mystical 
espousals,  to  give  you  my  heartiest  congratulations  and 
good  wishes.  If  the  day  on  which  brides  plight  their  troth 
to  earthly  bridegrooms  be  one  of  joy  and  well-wishing,  what 
must  the  case  be  when  the  groom  is  no  other  than  a  God- 
man,  and  the  union  not  to  last  as  long  as  life,  but  as  long  as 
eternity — a  groom  who  has  loved  His  bride  from  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world,  with  a  love  not  fitful  and  fickle,  but 
constant  and  unchangeable  as  He  is  Himself ;  a  bridegroom 
that  can  never  misunderstand  His  spouse  because  He  can 
read  the  inmost  thoughts  of  the  heart;  a  bridegroom  who 
has  at  His  command  all  the  treasures  of  Heaven  to  lavish 
on  His  bride,  so  that  she  can  lack  nothing  nor  fear  for  the 
future,  for  her  riches  and  her  happiness  are  to  go  on  in- 
creasing until  fullv  perfected  in  Heaven. 

240 


ORDAINED   A   PRIEST 

"I  was  meditating  this  morning  on  Nathanael,  and  the 
praise  bestowed  on  him  by  Our  Lord :  'Behold  an  Israelite 
indeed,  in  whom  is  no  guile;'  not  merely  a  son  of  Abraham, 
the  father  of  the  faithful,  according  to  the  flesh,  but  accord- 
ing to  the  spirit — who  kept  not  merely  the  letter  but  also 
the  spirit  of  the  law.  Above  all,  he  was  'without  guile/ 
simple-hearted,  nothing  stood  between  him  and  God,  and  so 
Our  Lord  said  to  him:  'Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you,  you 
shall  see  Heaven  opened  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending 
and  descending  upon  the  Son  of  Man.'  What  a  reward  for 
guilelessness  to  see  Heaven  opened  and  the  angels  fulfilling 
their  dutiful  ministry  to  the  Son  of  Man.  Who  is  also  the 
Son  of  God.  Is  not  this  the  beatitude  which  says :  'Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God'?  Are  we  to 
understand  it  only  of  the  future  life,  or  may  we  not  believe 
that  at  least  glimpses  of  God  and  His  glory  are  vouchsafed 
to  the  guileless  and  pure  of  heart  even  here  on  earth?  And 
if  so,  to  whom  rather  than  to  those  who  consecrate  their 
virginity  to  Him,  and  in  the  simplicity  of  their  hearts  offer 
and  consecrate  themselves  wholly  and  unreservedly  forever 
to  His  holy  service  and  pledge  an  answering  faithfulness  to 
their  life's  end? 

"Such,  dear  Sister  Margaret,  you  will  do  on  the  beautiful 
feast  of  Our  Lady's  Presentation.  May  she  help  you  to 
persevere  in  that  offering  of  yourself,  that,  as  the  Collect 
for  the  feast  says,  by  her  intercession  you  may  merit  to  be 
presented  to  God  in  the  temple  of  His  glory.  Such  will  be 
my  petition  for  you  in  Holy  Mass. 

"May  God  bless  and  keep  you  and  make  His  face  to  shine 
upon  you  and  give  you  peace  now  and  forever. 
"Ever  your  devoted  friend, 

"Pray  for  me."        "TTRvv  VAN  RENSSELAER.  S.J." 

24X 


CHAPTER    XIV. 
IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

IN  the  Spring  of  1889,  Father  Van  Rensselaer  began  his 
zealous  labors  in  New  York  City.  For  four  years  he 
had  looked  forward  to  a  life  among  the  Indians  of  the 
North- West,  but  at  the  last  moment  a  new  Provincial  of  the 
Maryland-New  York  Province  used  his  influence  to  keep 
him  in  the  East.  This  Superior  felt  that  the  good  to  be 
accomplished  among  the  Indians  by  the  newly  ordained 
priest  was  largely  problematical,  while  the  province  over 
which  he  presided  could  ill  afford  to  lose  the  services  of  so 
valuable  a  man.  Submissively,  Father  Van  Rensselaer  ac- 
cepted the  transfer  to  his  former  status  in  the  Maryland- 
New  York  Province,  and  was  soon  after  detailed  for  duty 
at  St.  Francis  Xavier's,  West  Sixteenth  street,  New  York. 
It  is  no  easy  task  to  give  even  a  succinct  account  of  the 
various  works  of  zeal  that  filled  up  the  seventeen  years  of 
his  ministry  in  the  metropolis.  A  large  share  of  the  parish 
work  fell  to  his  lot,  yet  he  never  seemed  to  grow  weary,  and 
no  matter  how  numerous  his  activities,  he  was  always  ready 
to  undertake  more.  Sick  calls,  Masses  at  inconvenient 
hours,  service  in  hospitals,  visits  to  the  poor,  sermons  and 
lectures,  retreats,  triduums,  sodalities  of  men  and  boys,  class 
for  converts,  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  Deaf  Mutes, 
Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  Knights  of  Columbus,  daily 
visits  to  the  Xavier  Club  and  the  Nazareth  Day  Nursery, 
confessions,  baptisms,  marriages,  pledges  to  the  intemper- 
ate, employment  for  the  needy,  visits  to  the  prisons;  all 

242 


IN   THE  MINISTRY 

these  represent  in  a  general  way  the  round  of  occupations 
that  kept  him  busy  from  dawn  till  far  into  the  night.  The 
bare  enumeration  of  these  works  of  mercy  and  love  sounds 
like  a  litany  of  his  good  deeds  in  the  vineyard  of  his  Father. 
With  all  this  he  never  murmured  nor  gave  the  impression 
of  being  overworked.  He  went  about  each  duty  as  if  that 
were  his  only  concern  in  life.  It  is  only  when  all  his  zealous 
labors  are  catalogued  and  viewed  in  retrospect  that  the  list 
causes  one  to  inquire  in  astonishment  how  he  was  able  to 
accomplish  so  much.  Would  you  believe  that  he  found 
time,  moreover,  to  write  plays  of  an  amusing  character  for 
his  young  men,  and  that  he  took  charge  of  the  rehearsals 
himself? 

He  had  a  predilection  for  singing  High  Mass  on  Sun- 
days, and  no  church  service,  however  long  or  fatiguing— 
and  there  were  many  in  the  course  of  the  year  at  St.  Francis 
Xavier's — caused  him  to  utter  a  word  of  complaint.  "The 
Three  Hours'  Agony"  on  Good  Friday  he  claimed  for  him- 
self. Except  upon  one  occasion,  when  he  gave  the  dis- 
courses upon  the  Seven  Words  from  the  Cross,  he  always 
led  the  exercises,  the  fervent  unction  with  which  he  recited 
the  prayers  never  failing  to  move  the  hearts  of  the  people 
and  to  contribute  largely  to  the  beauty  and  dignity  of  the 
devotion. 

He  had  little  love  for  preaching,  and  the  most  enthusiastic 
admirer  would  hardly  have  called  him  an  orator.  Still  he 
occasionally  surpassed  himself  and  discoursed  with  genuine 
eloquence.  His  last  sermon  at  High  Mass  was  delivered  at 
St.  Francis  Xavier's,  in  October,  190fi,  and  those  who  heard 
him  on  that  occasion  will  recall  the  original  way  in  which 
he  handled  a  trite  subject.  The  gospel  of  the  day  was  the 
parable  of  the  unmerciful  servant.  The  preacher  unfolded 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

the  narrative  after  his  own  fashion,  and  then  made  an  appli- 
cation to  existing  conditions  of  human  society.  He  called 
the  parable  a  drama  in  three  acts.  In  the  first  act,  there  is 
the  debtor  of  ten  thousand  talents,  or  say,  a  million  dollars. 
The  King  is  the  magnate,  the  captain  of  industry,  the  multi- 
millionaire. The  servant  who  owes  a  million  dollars  is  his 
right-hand  man,  or  agent,  or  charge  d'affaires.  But  in 
modern  parlance  he  is  "a  plunger"  and  has  been  risking  his 
master's  money  and  speculating  in  stocks,  counting,  of 
course,  on  the  sure  thing.  Then  comes  the  unexpected  slump 
in  the  market,  followed  by  the  usual  catastrophe,  and  the 
dishonest  speculator  loses  everything,  even  that  which  he 
could  never  have  claimed  as  his  own.  There  is  no  way  out 
of  his  embarrassment  except  to  throw  himself  on  the  mercy 
of  his  employer.  He  admits  his  crookedness,  pleads  for  ex- 
tension of  time,  and  gets  his  family  and  friends  to  intercede 
for  him.  The  magnate  relents  and  freely  forgives  him. 
The  gratitude  of  the  rehabilitated  servant  is  profound.  Act 
two:  Transformation. — The  suppliant  becomes  the  throt- 
tler.  The  humble  petitioner  is  transformed  into  the  re- 
lentless creditor.  Before  the  week  is  out  he  demands  the 
payment  of  an  hundred  pence,  say  one  hundred  dollars, 
from  his  clerk.  He  himself  has  been  forgiven  a  debt  of  a 
million  dollars,  and  he  exacts  the  payment  of  one  hundred 
from  his  fellow  servant.  The  poor  fellow  pleads  for  mercy. 
In  extenuation  he  urges  that  his  wages  are  but  ten  dollars 
a  week,  and  he  has  appropriated  only  one  hundred  in  the 
course  of  the  year.  He  admits  his  guilt,  but  offers  in  ex- 
cuse that  at  home  there  is  an  invalid  widowed  mother. 
There  was  an  impending  eviction  of  the  family,  now  hap- 
pily averted.  On  his  shoulders  falls  the  care  of  younger 
brothers  and  sisters,  who  would  starve  if  they  depended 

244 


IN   THE  MINISTRY 

solely  upon  his  meagre  allowance.  But  his  pleadings  are  in 
vain.  He  is  summarily  ejected  and  given  over  to  the  officers 
of  the  law.  Act  three :  The  tables  are  turned.  The  master 
treats  the  heard-hearted  wretch  as  he  treated  his  clerk,  and 
exacts  the  full  penalty.  Here  the  preacher  proceeded  rap- 
idly to  an  enlargement  of  his  theme  and  spoke  on  Christian 
forgiveness.  Christ,  he  held  up  as  the  model  who  taught 
the  lesson  of  forgiveness  by  word  and  example  from  the 
cradle  to  the  grave.  "By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  you 
are  my  disciples,  if  you  have  love  one  for  another."  This 
is  the  victory  over  the  pagan  world.  As  was  said  in  the 
early  days  of  Christianity,  "See  how  the  Christians  love 
one  another."  Christ  taught  the  lesson  of  forgiveness  from 
the  cross.  Then  he  instanced  St.  Stephen  praying  for  his 
murderers,  Blessed  Fisher  and  Bl.  Thomas  More,  St.  Jane 
Frances  de  Chantal,  St.  Monica  condoning  the  faults  of  hus- 
band and  son,  in  contrast  with  the  conduct  of  fathers  and 
mothers  generally.  He  alluded  to  a  case  that  had  come 
under  his  notice,  of  a  father  who  had  disinherited  his  son 
for  some  boyish  escapade.  On  his  death-bed  his  heart  was 
still  hardened.  He  would  not  forgive  even  his  own  flesh 
and  blood,  and  unforgiving  he  went  before  the  awful  judg- 
ment seat.  The  measure  of  our  forgiveness  will  be  the 
measure  of  God's  mercy.  "As  we  forgive  those  who  tres- 
I>ass  against  us."  The  trifling  offence  of  our  fellow  man  he 
set  over  against  the  infinite  offence  of  sin,  infinite  in  its  ef- 
fects, for  it  entails  the  loss  of  heaven.  God  forgives,  gives 
preventing  grace,  that  is,  He  is  the  first  to  make  the  ad- 
vance. He  goes  to  meet  the  sinner,  grants  pardon  for  the 
asking,  and  forgets  the  offence;  considers  repentance  a  per- 
sonal favor,  a  cause  of  congratulation.  "There  shall  be  joy 
in  heaven."  He  concluded  with  an  appeal  for  self-examina- 
tion and  forgiveness  if  we  hope  to  be  forgiven. 

245 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

This  is  only  a  brief  outline  of  the  sermon,  but  it  will 
serve  to  show  how  very  original  in  conception,  how  prac- 
tical and  direct  were  his  discourses  to  the  people.  Though 
he  always  gave  careful  preparation  to  his  sermons  and  ad- 
dresses, he  never  wrote  them  out  in  full.  One  reason  for 
this  was  that  he  could  never  trust  his  memory  to  retain  a 
carefully  conned  and  polished  composition.  His  voice  was 
somewhat  against  him,  but,  with  his  earnestness  and  fervor 
of  delivery,  his  wealth  of  thought  and  illustration,  he  always 
made  a  deep  impression  upon  his  hearers. 

There  is  an  enormous  amount  of  written  matter  left 
among  his  notes ;  skeleton  sermons  for  every  Sunday  in  the 
year — sometimes  half  a  dozen  for  the  same  Sunday- 
sketches  of  discourses  for  festivals,  for  special  occasions,  for 
the- different  societies  with  which  he  was  connected,  all  of 
them  attesting  his  unflagging  zeal  and  the  high  idea  he  en- 
tertained of  the  work  of  a  priest  in  the  pulpit  and  on  the 
platform. 

The  Spiritual  Exercises  of  St.  Ignatius  he  made  a  pro- 
found and  life-long  study.  He  had  for  his  use  a  printed 
copy  of  one  of  Father  Roothan's  editions,  over  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pages,  octavo,  which  is  literally  covered  with 
annotations  and  suggestions,  written  so  closely  between  the 
lines  and  on  the  margins  as  to  be  almost  undecipherable. 
Besides  this  annotated  copy  of  the  Book  of  the  Exercises, 
there  are  drafts  by  the  score  of  meditations  and  instructions 
for  triduums  and  retreats,  adapted  to  various  classes  of  men 
and  women,  proof  of  the  elaborate  care  he  bestowed  upon 
this  important  branch  of  a  Jesuit  priest's  work.  Over  and 
above  the  ordinary  retreats  to  religious  communities  and 
the  laity  which  fall  to  the  lot  of  every  Jesuit,  Father  Van 
Rensselaer  was  called  upon  to  give  an  occasional  one  to  the 

246 


IN  THE   MINISTRY 

clergy.  These  retreats,  by  reason  of  the  far-reaching  good 
resulting  therefrom,  are  without  doubt  the  most  important 
charge  which  can  be  entrusted  to  a  priest.  That  he  con- 
ducted them  successfully,  is  the  testimony  of  those  who 
made  them  under  his  direction,  and  is  borne  out  by  the  fol- 
lowing tribute  from  a  diocesan  newspaper.  It  is  headed  "A 
Knickerbocker  Jesuit." 

"The  priests  of  the  diocese  are  very  grateful  to  the  dis- 
tinguished Jesuit  Father,  the  Rev.  Henry  Van  Rensselaer, 
for  the  delightful  way  in  which  he  conducted  the  spiritual 
exercises  of  their  retreat  last  week. 

"It  is  true,  of  course,  that,  humanly  speaking,  the  fruit 
of  a  spiritual  retreat  must  always  depend  on  oneself.  Yet, 
the  personality  of  him  who  conducts  the  exercises,  and  the 
vigor  and  freshness  with  which  he  puts  things,  has  not  a 
little  to  do  with  the  success  of  a  retreat. 

"These  Father  Van  Rensselaer  possesses  in  a  striking 
degree.  To  begin  with,  he  is  a  man  of  knightly  presence, 
without  fear,  without  reproach,  who  speaks  as  God's  am- 
bassador. One  easily  perceives,  too,  that  he  is  endowed 
with  a  noble  soul,  who  despises  everything  low  or  mean.  He 
is,  moreover,  a  gentleman  of  distinguished  family,  reared 
in  luxury,  with  large  patrimony,  and  on  whose  future  the 
radiant  sky  sweetly  smiled.  Brought  up  an  alien  to  the 
Church,  his  eyes,  like  Paul's,  were  mercifully  opened  to  the 
light  of  faith;  and  further  favored  by  a  divine  call  to  a  life 
of  perfection,  he  left  all  the  glittering  world  had  in  store 
for  him  to  follow  the  Master. 

"Trained  in  the  military  school  of  Loyola,  this  scion  of 
New  York's  Four  Hundred  is  a  soldier  of  the  Cross.  To 
pierce  the  sinful  hearts  of  men  with  the  power  and  mystery 

247 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

of  the  Cross  is  his  one  grand  passion.  He  has,  moreover, 
the  art  of  putting  things  with  striking  force.  And  as  one 
gazes  on  his  handsome  face,  and  listens  to  the  music  of  his 
voice — enhanced  by  the  unmistakable  New  York  accent— 
the  old  truths  have  a  new  meaning  and  fascinate  the  heart 
as  never  before. 

"This  is  God's  way  of  using  human  gifts  and  advantages 
for  His  greater  honor  and  glory  and  the  salvation  of  souls." 

In  1896,  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  invited  to  preach  at 
St,  Mary's  Cathedral,  Ogdensburg,  which  may  be  regarded 
as  his  native  city,  Woodford,  the  family  estate,  being  only 
half  a  mile  to  the  west.  The  local  press  treated  his  coming 
as  an  event  of  unusual  interest.  One  daily  paper  devoted 
two  columns  to  a  description  of  Woodford,  with  a  picture 
in  half-tone  of  the  old  Van  Rensselaer  residence,  "from 
the  porch  of  which,  with  its  massive  Corinthian  columns, 
one  looked  through  vistas  of  the  intercepting  foliage,  across 
broad  meadows  to  the  majestic  flow  of  the  St.  Lawrence." 
In  this  account  there  is  a  brief  reference  to  Henry  Van 
Rensselaer,  Inspector  General  of  the  Army,  and  former 
owner  of  Woodford,  another  to  the  visit  of  his  eldest  son 
Stephen,  also  a  soldier,  who  won  his  spurs  at  Gettysburg, 
and  then  the  article  concludes:  "Some  decades  of  years 
passed,  and  a  new  generation  had  almost  forgotten  the  asso- 
ciations with  Woodford,  when  the  youngest  living  son  and 
namesake  of  its  former  owner,  came  among  his  towns- 
people. He,  too,  had  enlisted,  but  for  spiritual  warfare  un- 
der the  leadership  of  the  great  Captain,  St.  Ignatius  Loyola, 
in  the  Company  of  Jesus,  and  his  mission  is  the  peaceful  one 
of  winning  souls  to  Christ." 

The  sermon  at  Ogdensburg  was  largely  an  account  of  his 

248 


IN   THE   MINISTRY 

conversion  to  the  Church  and,  indirectly,  of  the  development 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  America  from  the 
time  of  the  American  Revolution.  The  story  of  the  devel- 
opment of  the  American  Episcopal  Church  served  him  later 
as  an  introduction  to  his  autobiography  and  is  a  fine  speci- 
men of  his  skill  in  graphic  narration.  No  apology  is  needed 
for  reproducing  it  here. 

"I  was  born  of  very  religious  parents  ,of  the  strong 
Protestant  type.  My  father  was  of  Dutch  Reformed  origin, 
while  my  mother  was  a  Protestant  Episcopalian.  Fifty 
years  ago  the  distinction  between  those  sects  was  compara- 
tively unimportant.  They  were  all  Protestants  and  were 
proud  of  it.  The  good  old  dominies  of  those  days  would 
scarcely  recognize  the  transformed  sects  of  to-day.  The 
name  Catholic  was  a  by-word.  The  term  priest  was  not  yet 
usurped  by  ministers,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  who  were 
eyed  askance  as  dangerous  characters,  secret  allies  of  the 
Scarlet  Woman  and  in  her  pay.  The  evolution  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church  into  a  so-called  branch  of  the  Catholic  Church 
is  interesting. 

"Originally  an  off-shoot  of  the  Established  Protestant 
Church  of  England,  this  American  branch  was  cut  off  by 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  and  had  to  assume  a  new 
coq>orate  existence  and  title.  The  staunch  Protestants  ot 
those  days  were  proud  of  their  Protestantism  and  asserted 
it  in  their  new  name.  But  they  had  bishops,  so-called,  and 
therefore  they  were  Episcopalians.  So  their  sect  was 
thenceforth  to  be  known  as  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  a  name  which  suited  it  admirably.  They  were  on 
friendly  terms  with  other  Protestant  denominations,  and 
their  Protestantism  connoted  the  supposed  errors  of  Rome. 

249 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

"The  Oxford  movement,  strong  in  England,  had  only  a 
comparatively  slight  effect  in  the  United  States.  But  the 
example  of  Newman  and  the  galaxy  of  great  men  who  fol- 
lowed him  to  Rome  could  not  fail  to  make  an  impression 
on  some  of  the  earnest-minded  ministers  of  the  day.  The 
vivifying  breath  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  about  to  infuse  life 
into  the  dry  bones  of  Protestantism.  The  true  concept  of  a 
living  Church,  with  power  to  teach  the  truth,  was  dawning. 
The  vision  of  the  eternal  priesthood  according  to  the  order 
of  Melchisedech,  with  its  visible  representatives  offering 
sacrifice,  rose  up  before  them  and  fascinated  them.  The 
five  sacraments*  that  had  been  discarded  so  contemptuously 
by  the  prime  movers  of  the  great  revolt  against  the  Church, 
seemed  in  the  new  light  no  longer  'old  women's  fables  or 
corrupt  following  of  the  Apostles,'  but  channels  of  divine 
grace  instituted  by  Christ  Himself.  The  glorious  Commun- 
ion of  Saints  appeared,  as  it  is  in  very  truth,  the  realiza- 
tion of  the  close  relations  that  exist  between  the  members 
of  the  Church  militant  on  earth  and  of  the  Church  triumph- 
ant in  heaven.  It  was  no  longer  an  empty  expression  in 
the  creed,  repeated  thousands  of  times  without  even  an  ink- 
ling of  its  meaning.  It  was,  indeed,  the  ever-presence  of 
the  'cloud  of  witnesses  and  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  per- 
fect.' The  great  fact  of  the  Incarnation  stood  out  in  its 
magnificent  proportions,  and  in  consequence  the  essential 
part  played  by  the  Virgin  Mother  forced  itself  on  the  ac- 
ceptance of  all  honest  minds.  Even  the  unique  privilege 
of  St.  Peter  as  the  Rock  upon  which  Christ  built  His 
Church,  as  the  receiver  from  Him  of  the  Keys  of  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven,  as  the  feeder  of  His  sheep  and  lambs,  His 
own  representative  as  the  Good  Shepherd  of  the  flock, 
seemed  less  impossible  of  belief. 

250 


IN   THE   MINISTRY 

"Such  a  growth  in  the  acceptance  of  Catholic  doctrines 
was  gradual  and  met  with  many  obstacles.  The  prejudices 
of  over  three  centuries  died  hard,  if  they  died  at  all.  The 
journey  to  the  true  Jerusalem,  the  City  of  God  on  earth,  was 
up-hill  and  laborious.  It  demanded  courage  and  persever- 
ance. In  many  cases  it  was  bloodless  martyrdom. 

"Perhaps  the  most  striking  way  to  show  this  growth  is  to 
follow  the  evolution  of  the  eucharistic  service,  for  this  was 
the  axis  on  which  the  movement  turned.  In  good  old-fash- 
ioned Episcopal  churches  there  was  a  chancel  and  in  the 
chancel  a  communion  table — a  veritable  table  with  four 
legs,  and  when  in  use,  once  a  month,  it  was  covered  with  a 
regulation  linen  table-cloth.  Being  a  table  for  the  Lord's 
Supper,  as  it  was  then  commonly  called,  there  was  ordi- 
narily nothing  on  it.  Then  an  ornamental  cover  was  placed 
over  it,  and  this  became  later  a  frontal.  The  empty  space 
between  the  legs  was  filled  in,  and  it  took  on  the  semblance 
of  an  altar.  Next  a  shelf  made  its  appearance  at  the  back 
of  the  table.  On  the  shelf  a  cross  of  flowers  was  intro- 
duced on  a  feast-day — Christmas  or  Blaster.  The  flowers 
withered  and  were  removed,  but  the  wooden  cross  remained. 
Next,  two  candlesticks  with  candles,  for  light  in  the  early 
morning  only,  flanked  the  cross.  As  it  was  no  longer  a  re- 
ceptacle for  flowers,  two  vases  were  substituted.  By  this 
time  the  old-fashioned  Communion  table  had  blossomed  into 
a  simple  type  of  altar.  The  large  flagon  of  wine,  the  capa- 
cious cup,  and  the  plate  of  bread  were  no  more  visible  on 
the  table.  A  credence,  or  side,  table  was  provided.  The 
elements,  as  they  were  called,  were  covered  with  a  veil,  and 
the  bread  was  in  the  form  of  wafers.  The  ministers,  and 
they  were  not  ashamed  of  the  name,  of  old  stood  at  either 
end  of  the  table,  so  that  the  congregation  could  witness  all 

251 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

their  actions.  This  was  technically  termed  the  northward 
position,  although  north  and  south  would  have  been  more 
correct.  But  the  eastward  position  (the  altar  end  of  the 
church  theoretically  was  supposed  to  face  east)  became  prev- 
alent, and  the  minister  stood  with  his  back  to  the  people, 
giving'  him  a  chance  for  various  ritualistic  practices  which 
he  interpolated  unknown  to  the  congregation.  But  the  dress 
of  the  embryo-priest  had  to  keep  pace  with  the  development 
of  the  altar.  First,  he  donned  a  cassock  reaching  to  his 
feet,  with  a  moderately  long  surplice.  The  broad  black 
scarf,  worn  on  all  occasions,  gave  way  on  great  feasts  to  a 
white  one.  This  done  and  accepted,  the  other  colors  were 
soon  adopted.  But  the  surplice  was  not  an  eucharistic  vest- 
ment. A  sort  of  combination  chasuble  and  surplice  served 
as  a  go-between,  until  the  regular  chasuble  was  no  longer 
an  object  of  suspicion.  For  a  while  the  material  was  linen, 
sometimes  handsomely  embroidered;  silk  soon  replaced  the 
linen,  and  a  set  of  silk  vestments  of  all  the  liturgical  colors 
became  a  part  of  every  ritualistic  establishment.  The  evo- 
lution was  well  nigh  complete;  the  chancel  had  become  the 
sanctuary ;  the  table,  the  altar,  and  all  its  appurtenances  were 
there.  The  cross  had  received  its  figure  and  was  a  crucifix. 
The  step  on  which  it  had  stood  had  grown  tall  and  evolved 
into  a  tabernacle.  Candles  blazed  on  the  altar  even  in  broad 
daylight.  Not  one  sanctuary  lamp  burned  before  the  altar, 
but  seven,  as  being  more  scriptural.  The  Communion  ser- 
vice, or  the  Lord's  Supper,  by  dint  of  omissions  and  addi- 
tions, might  pass  for  the  Mass,  and  was  with  great  ostenta- 
tion announced  as  such.  True,  the  language  was  English, 
but  it  was  so  mumbled  that  it  could  be  mistaken  for  Latin, 
or  some  unknown  tongue.  Stations  of  the  cross  were 
erected;  statues  of  the  saints  graced  the  sanctuary  or  side 

252 


DD 
DD 


DD; 
DO 


inn 
an 


(  III   K(  II    OF   ST.    FRAXt  IS    XAVIKK. 
XKW    YORK   (  ITY 


IN   THE   MINISTRY 

altars;  confessionals  were  provided,  and  holy  water  stoups 
enhanced  the  semblance  to  Catholicity. 

"With  all  this  external  growth,  doctrinal  teaching  had 
been  in  the  lead.  The  'faithful'  were  forbidden  to  call  them- 
selves Protestants  and  were  Catholics  or  Anglo-Catholics; 
whereas  Catholics  must  be  contemptuously  called  Roman- 
ists, for,  according  to  the  new  Gospel,  Romanists  were  only 
a  sect,  originating  in  Italy,  while  the  Anglican  Church  was 
the  Church,  pure  and  undefiled,  conformable  to  primitive 
Christianity. 

"Of  course  the  ritualists  proper  were,  and  still  are,  a  very 
small  minority  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  But 
they  had  a  certain  influence  in  leavening  the  Protestant 
lump,  and  in  raising  portions  of  it  in  doctrines  and  practices. 
But  by  far  the  more  influential  party  is  that  known  as  the 
Broad  Church,  which,  in  reality,  is  so  rationalistic  that  it 
rejects  such  fundamental  truths  as  the  Divinity  of  Christ, 
and  consequently  the  Trinity,  and  perforce  the  two  com- 
monly accepted  sacraments  as  real  means  of  grace,  and 
denies  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures.  The  Low  Church 
party  contains  the  old  conservative  Protestants,  and  might 
be  characterized  as  Evangelical  or  Rible  Christians,  re- 
spectable, but  unreasoning.  Then  come  the  High  Guirch- 
men,  holding  various  attitudes  of  belief,  the  greater  part 
being  High  and  Dry,  and  so  considered  very  safe,  with  no 
danger  of  reaching  the  height  whence  a  fall  Romeward 
would  be  likely." 

The  Ogdensburg-  Courier,  in  its  resume  of  the  discourse, 
states  that  "the  speaker  made  an  elaborate  argument  in  sup- 
port of  his  present  religious  belief,  and  closed  the  lecture, 
saying:  'I  thank  God  I  am  what  I  am.' ' 

253 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

In  November,  1897,  the  venerable  Father  Clarence  Wai- 
worth  celebrated  the  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  laying  of 
the  corner-stone  of  the  first  St.  Mary's  Church,  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  of  which  he  had  been  pastor  for  over  thirty  years. 
Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  an  old-time  friend,  and  the 
family  affiliations  with  the  early  history  of  Albany  sug- 
gested him  as  one  of  the  speakers  for  the  celebration.  The 
occasion  was  inspiring.  Albany,  the  old  Fort  Orange,  was 
once  the  home  of  the  patroons  and  for  generations  the  centre 
of  their  influence  throughout  the  State.  In  the  history  of 
the  trading  post,  and  its  development  into  the  capital  of  the 
Empire  State,  the  Van  Rensselaer  family  had  played  a  con- 
spicuous part.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Jesuit  Mission  sites 
were  not  far  away,  and  if  we  include  the  land  bordering  on 
the  St.  Lawrence  as  far  as  Ogdensburg,  they  were  actually 
situated  in  Van  Rensselaer  property.  The  first  of  the  Mo- 
hawk Castles,  the  historic  Auriesville,  where  Jogues,  and 
Bressani,  and  their  fellows  toiled  and  suffered  for  the  faith, 
was  only  forty  miles  distant.  There  was  a  fitness,  then,  in 
the  selection  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer,  a  descendant  of  the 
old  patroons,  and  a  brother  in  religion  of  those  heroic  mis- 
sionaries, to  tell  the  story  of  the  Church's  growth  in  a  land 
endeared  to  him  by  so  many  ties.  There  is  no  record  pre- 
served of  the  discourse  delivered  on  that  occasion,  though 
he  doubtless  made  it  the  object  of  special  preparation.  In  a 
chronicle  of  the  event  it  is  referred  to  as  an  eloquent  ser- 
mon on  the  text,  "This  is  none  other  than  the  house  of  God ; 
this  is  the  gate  of  Heaven." 

In  the  "Life  Sketches  of  Father  Walworth,"  published 
in  1907,  there  is  a  pen  picture  of  the  preacher  as  he  ap- 
peared in  the  pulpit  of  historic  St.  Mary's  :— 

"Tall  and  dark  amid  the  resplendent  glory  of  the  cere- 

254 


IN   THE   MINISTRY 

mony,  stood  the  Jesuit  in  dear  old  St.  Mary's  oaken  pulpit. 
He  stood  there  in  the  heydey  of  manly  beauty,  a  lineal  de- 
scendant of  the  first  Albany  patroon,  and  all  the  while  a 
crucifix  glimmered  at  his  girdle.  He  was  every  inch  a 
black-gown,  a  devoted  missionary,  a  devoted  son  of  Loyola, 
and  so,  too,  was  the  one  of  whom  he  spoke,  Isaac  Jogues. 
discoverer  of  Lake  George,  a  friend  of  Megapolensis  at 
Fort  Orange,  and  martyr  of  the  Mohawk  Mission.  The 
vigor  and  graces  of  a  noble  orator  were  his,  and  who  could 
say  that  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  not  the  right  man  in 
the  right  place  for  that  occasion?" 


CHAPTER    XVI. 
THE  TERTIANSHIP. 

UPON  the  completion  of  his  studies,  every  Jesuit  is  sent 
back  to  the  novitiate  to  spend  a  year  in  the  humble 
employments  and  spiritual  duties  which  helped  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  his  religious  life.  This  year  is  usually  called 
the  third  year  of  probation,  or,  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
novitiate,  the  tertianship.  In  Father  Van  Rensselaer's  case, 
however,  it  was  only  after  some  years  of  the  ministry  that 
he  was  sent  to  Frederick,  Md.,  to  complete  his  spiritual 
training.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  he  wrote  the  following 
interesting  letter  to  his  mother: 

"NOVITIATE, 

"FREDERICK  CITY,  MD., 

"September  20,  18UJJ. 
"Mv  DEAREST  MOTHER: 

"I  suppose  you  are  anxious  to  know  how  I  am  settled  in 
my  new  quarters.  There  could  not  be  a  greater  contrast 
than  between  New  York  and  Frederick.  The  latter  is  the 
dullest  little  town  possible.  No  hustle,  but  withal  noisy,  as 
everybody  speaks  out  loud  in  the  street,  to  the  great  an- 
noyance of  those  inside  the  house.  The  inevitable  small  boy 
makes  it  lively,  too.  Moreover,  it  is  enlivened  by  church 
bells.  There  is  quite  a  rivalry.  We,  however,  always  have 
the  lead,  as  we  begin  at  5  A.  M.,  but  the  others  make  up  for 
it  later  on.  I  do  not  think  that  I  have  sat  as  much  in  four 
years  as  I  have  the  last  eighteen  days  since  I  have  been  here. 

256 


THE  TERTIANSHIP 

In  fact,  the  last  thirteen  years  seem  like  a  dream,  for  I  have 
gone  back  again  to  my  novice  days.  This  illusion  is  kept 
up  in  a  way  by  having  many  of  my  early  friends  in  religion 
here  with  me.  so  we  feel  very  much  at  home.  The  Rector  is 
an  old  friend  of  mine,  formerly  a  fellow-student  at  Wood- 
stock. 

"The  neighborhood  is  beautiful.  Frederick  Valley  is  very 
fertile,  and  the  mountains  that  shut  it  in  make  a  fine  back- 
ground on  every  side.  The  town  is  more  like  an  old  Euro- 
pean one  than  its  sister  Americans.  There  is  little  or  no 
progress.  The  people  are  comfortable ;  in  fact  Frederick  is 
said  to  be  the  richest  town  of  its  population  in  the  country 
—9,000  inhabitants  and  eleven  banks  with  $3.000,000  de- 
posits. The  people,  descendants  of  the  hireling  Hessians, 
are  not  very  attractive,  but  of  a  hard,  repulsive  type.  I  like 
the  darkies,  who  abound  and  have  good  manners.  A  good 
many  battles  were  fought  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  graveyard 
has  a  long  row  of  headstones  of  soldiers.  Our  house  was 
used  as  a  hospital.  But  enough  of  the  place. 

"We  begin  our  thirty  days'  retreat  next  Thursday,  and  it 
will  be  over  on  the  30th  of  October.  Fortunately  we  have 
a  very  interesting  Father  to  give  it,  Father  Villiger,  who 
has  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  the  Holy  Land,  so  that  his 
descriptions  of  the  sacred  places  will  be  graphic  and  au- 
thentic. As  a  great  deal  of  the  time  will  be  spent  in  medi- 
tating upon  the  life  of  Our  Lord,  it  will  make  the  scenes 
more  real.  Take  good  care  of  yourself.  .  .  . 
"Ever  your  devoted  son, 

"HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER.  S.J." 

While  in  this  place  of  retreat,  where  his  time  was  so 
largely  devoted  to  the  study  and  practice  of  the  ascetic  life, 

257 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

his  fervor  may  be  said  to  have  been  at  its  height.  It  was 
the  last  great  opportunity  he  should  have  to  recast  his  spirit- 
ual aims  and  ambitions,  to  select  with  greater  care  than 
heretofore  the  weapons  most  suited  for  the  spiritual  war- 
fare ahead,  and  to  see  that  his  supply  would  be  sufficient 
for  all  the  remaining  years  of  his  conflict  with  human  pas- 
sions and  the  enemy  of  mankind  in  the  conquest  of  human 
souls. 

Once  only  during  that  year  was  he  permitted  to  under- 
take any  departure  from  the  daily  routine.  This  was  when 
he  was  invited  to  organize  a  Catholic  association  for  young 
men,  like  the  Xavier  Qub  of  New  York  City.  Suitable 
quarters  were  obtained  in  St.  John's  Literary  Institute,  a 
school  famous  in  its  day  and  the  training  place  of  Admiral 
Schley,  Robert  Brady,  Provincial  of  the  Maryland-New 
York  Jesuits,  and  many  others  distinguished  in  Church  and 
State.  The  Rev.  John  McElroy,  S.J.,  whose  zealous  labors 
for  the  Church  have  made  his  name  a  household  word  along 
the  Atlantic  sea-board  from  Washington  to  Boston,  was 
one  of  its  early  presidents.  There  were  then  respectable 
traditions  of  the  past,  and  the  halo  of  great  names  and  ac- 
complishments to  recommend  St.  John's  Literary  Institute 
as  a  proper  place  for  starting  a  society  for  Catholic  young 
men.  All  that  was  needed  was  the  fiat  of  a  man  of  enter- 
prise and  energy,  or  better  still,  a  man  of  zeal  and  experi- 
ence, to  give  shape  and  spirit  to  the  material  that  lay  ready 
for  the  workman.  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  the  man. 
Within  a  few  months  the  formal  opening  of  the  Catholic 
Club  of  Frederick  took  place  with  a  membership  of  two 
hundred,  many  of  the  most  'prominent  citizens  of  Frederick 
being  on  its  rolls. 

The  Master,  or  Instructor  of  Tertians,  was  the  venerable 

258 


THE  TERTIANSHIP 

Father  Burchard  Villiger,  a  man  of  eminent  piety  and 
learning,  who  a  few  years  later  died  as  he  had  lived,  in  the 
odor  of  sanctity,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  His  edifying 
life  has  since  been  given  to  the  world  by  Father  John  Ryan, 
one  of  his  religious  confreres.  The  chief  spiritual  exercise 
of  the  third  year  is  the  retreat  of  thirty  days.  This  retreat 
is  made  by  the  Jesuit  but  twice  during  his  lifetime,  the  first 
shortly  after  his  admission  into  the  novitiate.  Four  or  five 
meditations,  each  an  hour's  length,  are  considered  every 
day,  and  the  points,  as  they  are  called,  or  summary  of  the 
subject  matter  for  reflection,  are  given  by  the  Instructor  to 
all  the  Fathers,  who  meet  for  that  purpose  in  a  private 
chapel  or  oratory. 

In  the  journal  of  his  thirty  days'  retreat,  Father  Van 
Rensselaer  thanks  God  for  putting  him  under  such  an  in- 
structor as  Father  Villiger,  "a  man  of  God,  wholly  spirit- 
ual, whose  every  word  is  weighty  because  carried  out  in  his 
life.  He  has  tremendous  power,  and  thus  before  the  exer- 
cises he  disposed  us  by  showing  himself  really  a  Father: 
considerate,  kind  and  interested  entirely  in  our  welfare. 
No  wonder,  then,  that  St.  Ignatius  speaks  through  him.  An 
intense  spirit  of  faith  pervades  every  instruction  and  all  the 
points.  Under  such  a  leader  we  can  follow."  And  again 
he  writes:  "Our  instructor,  like  all  the  saints,  is  powerful 
in  extremes,  that  is,  he  can  expatiate  enthusiastically  on  the 
love  of  God  and  His  Son,  but  at  the  same  time  paint  in 
glowing  terms  the  terrors  of  His  justice.  And  so  all  was 
made  very  vivid.  What  impresses  one  most  in  Father 
Villiger  is  the  fact  that  he  practises  what  he  gives — not  a 
lesson  learned  by  rote,  but  heart.  He  carries  out  what  he 
says  and  he  knows  by  experience.  He  talks  of  Our  Lord  as 
if  he  lived  in  intimate  communion  with  Him,  and  so  could 

259 


LIFE   OF    HENRY   VAN    RENSSELAER 

speak  as  an  eye  and  ear  witness.  He  has  great  devotion  to 
the  Holy  Angels.  His  description  of  the  preparation  and 
the  event  of  the  Nativity  were  exquisite  in  simplicity,  faith 
and  beauty.  And  so  it  is  with  the  other  mysteries  of  Our 
Lord's  infancy.  The  Shepherds  were  like  old  friends,  teach- 
ing us  the  lesson  of  fitness  for  and  ready  correspondence 
with  Divine  grace  and  calls." 

The  notes  or  jottings  of  the  journal  give  a  wonderful  in- 
sight into  the  maturer  character  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer 
as  it  had  developed  since  he  became  a  Jesuit.  The  man  of 
action  is  rightly  and  fully  understood  only  with  a  knowledge 
of  the  secret  springs  which  control  his  conduct.  The  notes 
were  not  written  for  publication,  as  they  are  the  commun- 
ings  of  his  own  soul  with  its  Maker.  We  shall  give  here 
only  the  words  with  which  the  journal  concludes :  'Thir- 
tieth day,  and  so  we  have  come  to  an  end!  Am  I  much 
changed  for  the  better?  As  the  Directory*  warns,  it  was 
only  the"  seed-time — the  harvest  not  till  the  end — my  end 
on  earth.  I  hope  I  have  advanced  in  the  way.  I  realized 
more  the  Contemplation  on  Love  of  God.  May  my  life  be 
the  fulfilment.  I  must  strive  to  have  the  Supernatural  con- 
stantly in  view — in  superiors,  equals,  people  in  general. 
Xever  forget  my.  watch-word.  Quid  ad  te?  Tu  Me  sequere. 
Te  Duce,  Sequar!  \Yhat  is  it  to  thee?  Do  thoti  follow 
^fc.  Lead  Thou,  O  Lord,  I  will  follow!" 


The  Directory  is  an  authorized  commentary  on  the  Book  of  the 
Spiritual  Exercises  of  special  assistance  to  those  giving  a  retreat. 

260 


CHAPTER    XVII. 
THE  MESSENGER  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART. 

AFTER  his  tertianship  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  sent 
to  Philadelphia  as  one  of  the  Assistant  Directors  of 
the  Apostleship  of  Prayer.  The  assignment  was  the  very 
reverse  of  acceptable  to  him,  for  he  had  been  always  hoping 
to  be  employed  exclusively  in  the  external  work  of  the  min- 
istry. But,  like  a  submissive  religious,  he  swallowed  his 
disappointment,  and  set  himself  to  what  was  to  him  a  very 
irksome  task,  that  of  revising  manuals,  reviewing  little 
books  of  devotion,  devising  decorations  for  banners  or 
badges,  with  occasional  preaching  in  parishes  where  the 
League  of  the  Sacred  Heart  had  to  be  organized  or  needed 
reviving.  His  very  fine  literary  taste,  however,  which  he 
had  never  ceased  to  exercise,  was  of  great  service  in  what- 
ever writing  was  assigned  to  him,  and  not  a  few  contribu- 
tions appear  over  his  signature  in  the  volumes  of  the  Mes- 
senger of  the  Sacred  Heart  between  the  years  1894  and 
1898. 

"He  entered  upon  his  editorial  duties  with  wonderful 
alacrity,"  writes  the  Rev.  Joseph  Smith,  in  a  sympathetic 
and  scholarly  tribute  which  appeared  in  the  Messenger  of 
the  Sacred  Heart  for  February,  11)01).  "Everything  that  he 
contributed  to  the  Messenger  was  distinctly  good,  and  al- 
ways simple,  natural  ami  tranquil.  His  writings  in  prose 
and  verse  reveal  an  enthusiastic  lover  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
and  an  ardent  champion  of  the  League.  Here  as  in  every 
other  undertaking  that  engaged  his  beautiful  mind  and  ten- 

2fil 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

der,  amiable  heart,  he  served  God  unremittingly,  not  in  part 
nor  with  half  measures,  but  generously,  gladly  and  faith- 
fully. The  model  priest  and  apostle  who  had  hoped  to  labor 
for  Christ  in  far-away  Alaska  was  equally  earnest  in  labor 
and  earnest  in  faith  and  prayer  when  obedience  placed  him 
in  what  was,  for  a  time  at  least,  an  obscurer  field." 

Father  Van  Rensselaer's  wonderful  adaptability  to  what- 
ever work  was  given  him  to  do,  no  matter  how  uncongenial, 
was  never  better  displayed  than  in  his  various  and  varied 
contributions  to  the  Messenger  of  the  Sacred  Heart  and  its 
companion  publication  The  Pilgrim. 

He  had  a  happy  knack  of  verse-making,  a  result  of  long 
practice,  and  he  frequently  pressed  it  into  service  in  explain- 
ing the  various  devotions  and  practices  of  the  League.  It 
will  be  sufficient  to  cite  one,  which  has  found  its  way  into 
the  League  Manual.  It  is  entitled : — 

THE  PROMOTER'S  CROSS. 

'Tis  the  King's  own  sacred  sign 

Setting  us  apart 
For  a  mission  all  divine, 

Of  His  Sacred  Heart. 
Let  our  Cross  our  ensign  be, 
Leading  us  to  victory. 

Not  the  metal  value  we, 

Though  'twere  precious  gold ; 

Its  indulgenced  dowry 
Has  a  wealth  untold. 

Let  our  Cross  our  ensign  be, 

Leading  us  to  victory. 
262 


THE  MESSENGER  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

Whose  the  image  'graved  on  it? 

Jesus'  Heart  aflame. 
Whose  the  superscription  writ? 

Jesus'  Holy  name. 
Let  our  Cross  our  ensign  be, 
Leading  us  to  victory. 

Let  our  Cross  be  full  in  view, 

Proud  that  men  should  know 
We  are  to  our  mission  true 

Wheresoe'er  we  go. 
So  our  Cross  our  ensign  be, 
Leading  us  to  victory. 

There  are  others  on  the  League  motto:  "Thy  Kingdom 
Come";  the  "Quid  Retribuam?"  etc. 

An  excellent  example  of  his  prose  style  is  to  be  seen  in 
the  following  instruction  which  he  wrote  on  the  Holy 
Rosary.  It  is  full  of  meat  and  eminently  characteristic  of 
the  man. 

"A  score  of  years  ago  I  was  visiting  Rome  and  told  that 
one  of  the  things  to  do  was  to  go  to  the  Church  of  the  Gcsu 
on  Sunday  afternoon  to  hear  i7  dialogo,  the  dialogue.  Of 
course,  I  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  and  went  at  the 
appointed  hour.  The  Gcsu  is,  as  the  name  implies,  the 
Church  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  and  is  attached  to  the 
mother-house.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  edifices  in 
the  Eternal  City,  and  perhaps  one  of  the  richest  in  decora- 
tions in  the  world. 

"When  I  reached  the  church  I  found  it  filled  to  over- 
flowing. At  one  side  of  the  nave  was  a  raised  platform  on 

263 


i. IFF  OF  HENRY  VAN  RENSSELAER 

a  level  with  the  shoulders  of  the  standers,  for  in  Roman 
churches  there  are  no  pews,  and  very  few  chairs.  On  this 
platform  were  two  priests  in  the  Jesuit  habit,  and  long 
cloaks.  It  was  a  genuine  dialogue,  and  the  subject,  sug- 
gested no  doubt  by  the  feast,  the  Solemnity  of  the  Rosary, 
was  the  popular  devotion.  The  method  of  treatment,  though 
common  in  Rome,  was  to  me  quite  novel.  One  of  the  priests 
advanced  all  the  difficulties  that  Protestants  commonly  ex- 
perience in  regard  to  the  Rosary.  He  played  his  part  well, 
and  put  forward  the  objections  as  strongly  as  possible.  The 
other  priest  refuted  each  difficulty  as  it  was  presented. 

"Have  we  not  in  this  Roman  custom  the  suggestion  of 
the  modern  'Question  Box'  system?  We  think,  however, 
that  the  dialogue  has  the  advantage.  For,  in  the  first  place, 
it  is  all  viva  voce.  Then  the  objector  can  urge  his  difficulty 
until  it  is  thoroughly  answered.  Again,  the  difficulty  is  put 
in  the  best  manner  possible.  Lastly,  only  one  difficulty,  or 
several  intimately  connected,  comes  under  discussion  at  the 
same  meeting,  instead  of  a  heterogeneous  collection  of  dis- 
parate objections. 

"Well,  the  discussion  at  which  we  were  present  was  most 
animated,  and  was  by  no  means  a  dry  talk.  Oratory  in  a 
high  degree  was  displayed  on  both  sides.  Of  course,  'truth 
is  mighty/  and  on  this  occasion,  as  on  all  others,  it  pre- 
vailed. The  adversary  admitted  the  cogency  of  the  argu- 
ments and  after  a  brave  struggle  knelt  at  the  feet  of  the 
defender  and  publicly  acknowledged  his  own  defeat  and  the 
force  of  the  statement  of  the  true  doctrine.  He  then  apol- 
ogized for  having  played  the  part  of  the  devil's  advocate. 
The  whole  affair  was  very  instructive  and  helpful.  Some 
one  might  ask  if  it  were  not  dangerous  to  put  difficulties 
about  Catholic  doctrines  or  devotions  before  the  faithful 

204 


THE  MESSENGER  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

who  have  no  doubts.  The  answer  is  that  of  course  there 
would  be  danger  if  the  defender  were  not  thoroughly 
versed  both  in  the  matter  and  in  the  manner  of  putting  it, 
so  that  the  truth  is  shown  in  convincing  light,  and  this  is 
always  seen  in  the  choice  of  the  defender. 

"In  the  dialogue  the  difficulties  are  fairly  and  squarely 
stated,  for  truth  has  nothing  to  fear  from  the  statement  of 
its  opposing  errors,  rather  they  are  the  shadows  that  serve 
to  throw  out  in  stronger  relief  the  lightsome  truth.  To  the 
objection  that  a  genuine  Protestant  could  possibly  state 
more  clearly  his  objections  than  a  Catholic,  we  reply  that 
there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun,  and  that  any  Protestant 
objection  has  been  stated  hundreds  of  times,  and  as  often 
refuted,  so  that  any  well-in  formed  Catholic,  especially  a 
priest,  whose  business  it  is  to  refute  error,  can  readily  mas- 
ter the  objections  and  state  them  fairly.  Such  dialogues, 
well  prepared  and  well  given,  would  doubtless  attract  large 
crowds  of  Catholics  and  non-Catholics. 

"At  the  one  in  Rome  of  which  we  are  writing,  we  listened 
with  interest  to  all  the  objections  and  refutations,  and  went 
away  strengthened  in  the  faith  and  in  devotion  to  the 
Mother  of  (iod.  Of  course  the  pith  of  all  Protestant  objec- 
tions to  the  Rosary  is  the  misconception  of  the  position  of 
the  Virgin  Mother  in  the  divine  economy  of  the  Incarna- 
tion. We  might  go  even  further  and  say  that  that  great 
mystery  of  the  Incarnate  God  is  not  clearly  grasped.  Hence 
a  confused  idea  about  Christ  is  common,  and  consequently 
about  His  Mother.  If  the  unity  of  the  Person  of  Christ  is 
not  understood,  and  the  rights  that  it  conveys  to  Mary  lobe 
called  the  Mother  of  God,  because  mother  according  to  the 
flesh  of  a  Divine  Person,  then  we  need  not  wonder  that 
Protestants  should  hesitate  or  refuse  to  give  Our  Lady  what 

205 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

belongs  to  her  precisely  because  the  God-man  called  her 
mother.  Of  course  motherhood  connotes  only  the  human 
nature,  but  in  Christ  this  was  possessed  by  a  Divine  Person. 
The  unique  privilege  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  although  rais- 
ing her  to  a  peerless  position,  still  leaves  her  in  the  rank  of 
creatures,  and  no  instructed  Catholic  ever  did,  or  ever  could, 
give  her  divine  honors,  which  belong  to  God  alone. 

"A  common  objection  to  the  Rosary  arises  from  the  fact 
that  the  Hail  Mary  is  repeated  ten  times  to  one  Our  Father. 
This,  say  the  Protestants,  proves  that  Catholics  honor  the 
Virgin  Mary  ten  times  more  than  God.  The  difficulty  falls 
by  its  own  weight.  The  Hail  Mary  is  the  announcement 
of  the  Incarnation,  and  is  based  entirely  on  this  mystery.  It 
begins  with  the  salutation  of  Elizabeth,  whose  son,  still  in 
her  womb,  felt  the  power  of  the  Incarnation  when  sanctified 
at  the  sound  of  Mary's  voice,  and  so  the  Mother  of  Christ's 
forerunner  declares  that  the  'fruit  of  Mary's  womb  is 
blessed,'  and  marvels  that  the  'Mother  of  her  Lord'  should 
come  to  her.  Then  Mary  is  invoked  precisely  as  Mother  of 
God,  and  so  as  one  having  power  with  her  divine  Son.  The 
honor  given  to  the  mother  passes  on  to  the  son,  and  the  son 
and  the  mother  are  inseparable  in  the  divine  economy  of 
the  Incarnation.  If  the  Hail  Mary  is  repeated  ten  times,  so 
does  it  ten  times  glorify  both  son  and  mother,  even  as  we 
are  taught  to  do  by  the  Archangel  Gabriel  and  the  mother 
of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  Saint  Elizabeth,  who  were  the  first 
to  utter  'Hail,  full  of  grace,  the  Lord  is  with  thee;  blessed 
art  thou  among  women  and  blessed  is  the  fruit  of  thy 
womb.' 

"But,  argue  Protestants,  why  so  many  vain  repetitions 
at  all?  Did  not  Christ  positively  forbid  them?  Yes,  He 
condemned  vain  repetitions  such  as  the  heathen  were  wont 

266 


THE  MESSENGER  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

to  utter,  but  assuredly  not  the  heartfelt  repeating  of  inspired 
words  full  of  meaning.  In  fact,  He  Himself  gave  us  an 
example  of  using  the  same  words  over  and  over  again  when 
He  prayed  so  earnestly  during  His  agony  in  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemani.  So  He  by  no  means  forbade  repetitions,  but 
only  vain  or  empty  ones,  plitting  not  the  matter  but  the 
manner  under  condemnation.  Could  the  meditation  of  the 
principal  mysteries  of  His  own  life  be  displeasing  to  Him? 
Yet  this  is  what  is  done  in  the  Rosary.  The  beautiful  fa- 
miliar prayers  help  to  fix  the  attention  on  this  particular 
phase  of  the  life  of  Christ  under  consideration.  The  lips 
move,  the  voice  is  raised,  but  so  too  is  the  mind,  and  the 
heart  is  inflamed  witli  devotion.  Mystery  after  mystery  in 
the  life  of  the  God-man  and  His  Blessed  Mother  unfolds 
itself  as  food  for  meditation  and  imitation  from  the  joyful 
Annunciation  to  the  Coronation  of  the  same  Holy  Mary  in 
heaven.  Through  all  the  stages  of  His  earthly  career  does 
the  pious  meditation  follow  the  Divine  Master  in  the  joyful, 
sorrowful  and  glorious  mysteries. 

"But  why  repeat  the  Our  Father  and  Hail  Mary  so  often  ? 
One  of  each  well  said  would  be  sufficient.  Are  repetitions 
of  assurances  of  love  tedious  to  the  lover's  ears?  Do  they 
ever  tire  of  hearing  the  same  old  story  over  and  over  again? 
Docs  it  not  become  all  the  dearer  by  the  repetition?  What 
parent  ever  wishes  his  child  to  cease  relating  his  pretty 
baby  tale  of  love?  So  it  is  with  Almighty  God,  who  never 
wearies  of  our  prayers.  In  truth,  was  it  not  Our  Lord 
Himself  who  taught  us  His  prayer  and  bade  us  when  we 
pray  to  use  it?  Did  He  limit  its  use  to  once  at  a  time?  If 
not,  and  He  certainly  did  not,  we  are  free,  nay,  rather  en- 
joined by  Him  to  use  it  frequently:  'When  you  pray,  say 
Our  Father,'  and  so  forth.  Thus  He  gave  us  a  method  of 

207 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

prayer,  and  hade  us  pray  without  ceasing.  So  Catholics 
consider  the  Rosary  as  one  of  their  choicest  treasures,  and 
it  is  suited  to  the  wants  of  all,  for  it  is  quite  a  mistake  to 
imagine  that  it  is  intended  primarily  or  chiefly  for  those 
who  cannot  read,  and  the  educated  do  not  appreciate  it.  All 
the  clerics  from  our  Holy  Father,  the  Pope,  down  to  the 
tonsured,  all  religious  orders  and  congregations  of  men  and 
women  are  accustomed  to  recite  the  beads  daily,  and  in  well 
regulated  households  it  is  still  the  custom  to  call  the 
members  of  the  family  together  at  night  to  say  the  Rosary 
in  common  before  retiring. 

"Of  late  years  the  Rosary  has  grown  in  popularity, 
thanks  to  the  repeated  encyclical  letters  of  Leo  XIII  recom- 
mending its  use  in  general  and  enjoining  it  especially  during 
the  month  of  October.  A  very  helpful  way  to  recite  it  in 
private  is  to  insert  after  the  Holy  Name  the  particular  mys- 
tery tinder  consideration.  For  instance,  while  considering 
the  Nativity,  to  add  after  the  name  Jesus  'Who  wast  born 
of  thee  a  Virgin' ;  or  on  the  fourth  sorrowful  mystery,  'Who 
didst  bear  the  Cross  for  us.'  In  this  way  the  meditation  is 
much  helped. 

"Experience  has  shown  that  the  Rosary  affords  a  very 
efficient  method  of  public  prayer.  The  variety  offered  by- 
one  giving  out  the  beads  and  the  others  answering  is  suffi- 
cient to  avoid  monotony  without  being  too  much  of  a  strain 
on  the  mind.  Of  course  a  mere  mechanical  recitation  should 
be  avoided  and  a  reasonable  attention  given.  It  will  be  an 
aid  always  to  say  the  beads  for  some  particular  intention 
which  will  rouse  one's  interest,  and  make  one  pray  as  if  in 
earnest,  and  resolved  to  gain  one's  petition." 

When  the  Central  Bureau  of  the  Apostleship  of  Prayer 

208 


THE  MESSENGER  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

was  transferred  to  New  York  in  September.  1894,  Father 
Van  Rensselaer  found  himself  face  to  face  with  the  men's 
clubs  and  associations  with  which  his  whole  life  was  to  be 
subsequently  identified.  His  occupations  in  the  Apostleship, 
however,  prevented  him  from  having  anything  to  do  with 
their  direction  and  organization;  but  at  last,  after  repeated 
solicitations  with  superiors,  his  connection  with  the  Apostle- 
ship  and  the  Messenger  of  the  Sacred  Heart  came  to  an  end. 


20U 


T 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 
THE  XAVIER  CLUB. 

HE  Xavier  Club  was  one  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer's 
pet  enterprises  and  the  first  organization  of  young 
men  founded  by  him  after  he  had  been  fairly  launched  upon 
his  work  in  New  York.  The  idea  did  not  take  shape  at 
once,  but  was  rather  a  development,  albeit  a  rapid  one.  The 
Rev.  Theodore  Thiry,  known  to  more  than  one  generation 
of  New  Yorkers  as  the  staunch  friend  and  spiritual  guide 
of  an  almost  countless  host  of  boys  and  men  and  the  founder 
and  director  of  sodalities  and  societies  which  accomplished 
untold  benefit  to  thousands,  had  but  recently  been  summoned 
to  his  reward.  His  loss  was  indeed  sorely  felt;  many  thought 
and  said  his  place  could  never  be  filled.  This  was  indeed 
true,  but  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  not  shortened,  and  while 
many  were  still  mourning  Father  Thiry's  death  a  new  apos- 
tle of  young  men  was  already  in  the  field. 

Father  Van  Rensselaer  first  thought  of  a  parish  club,  and 
as  early  as  1889  he  drew  up  a  list  of  members  who  had  de-, 
clared  themselves  willing  to  give  him  their  cordial  support. 
The  list  is  still  to  be  seen  in  manuscript  among  his  papers. 
Discussion  and  deliberation  followed.  There  were  many 
Catholic  young  men  connected  with  various  clubs  and  so- 
cieties throughout  the'city,  a  goodly  number  of  whom  had 
been  attracted  to  these  organizations  through  their  interest 
or  prowess  in  athletics.  Why  not  gather  them  all  into  one 
society,  where  athletics  would  be  the  dominating  element? 
So  the  Xavier  Club  was  started  on  its  long  and  brilliant 
career. 

270 


THE  XAVIER  CLUB 

It  had  no  religious  obligations  connected  with  its  mem- 
bership and  for  that  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  frequently 
taken  to  task,  but  in  this,  as  in  other  matters,  the  censors 
did  not  sway  him.  He  had  an  idea  which  he  followed  per- 
sistently, that  his  personal  influence  would  be  powerful 
enough  to  induce  his  gymnasts  and  runners  and  bowlers  to 
perform  their  religious  duties,  which  perhaps  they  would 
balk  at  if  they  had  to  acquit  themselves  of  their  obligations 
in  the  presence  of  others  and  with  a  certain  amount  of 
parade.  After  all,  men  are  not  all  made  alike,  and  what 
will  suit  one  will  be  distasteful  to  another.  But  there  is  no 
doubt  that  their  zealous  director  did  not  let  them  choose 
their  own  gait  or  go  as  they  pleased.  He  followed  them  un- 
remittingly, to  bring  them  back  if  they  strayed,  or  to  keep 
them  in  the  right  path  if  they  were  faithful.  He  knew  as 
well  as  anyone  else  that  much  may  be  said  on  both  sides  of 
the  question  of  such  clubs:  that  they  are  not  Church  asso- 
ciations, that  they  are  detrimental  to  family  life,  and  the 
like;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  that  they  exist  by  scores  outside 
the  Church  and  in  surroundings  that  are  professedly  antag- 
onistic; wherefore  he  proposed  to  take  conditions  as  he 
found  them  and  try  to  get  what  good  might  be  obtained  by 
such  aggregations.  Men,  especially  young  men.  cannot  be 
prevented  from  entering  them,  and  so  he  took  them  at  their 
weak  point. 

The  formal  opening  of  the  club  took  place  on  December 
10,  1889.  Its  quarters  were  at  first  in  a  spacious  old-fash- 
ioned mansion  which  various  societies  connected  with  St. 
Francis  Xavier's  had  occupied  until  Father  Van  Rensselaer 
secured  the  cooperation  of  his  superiors  in  carrying  out  his 
pet  project  of  establishing  an  association  for  young  men. 
A  few  years  later  two  adjoining  dwellings  opposite  the  col- 

271 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

lege  were  secured  and  thoroughly  reconstructed  for  the  new 
uses  to  which  they  were  to  be  put.  The  new  club  house  was 
the  finest  and  most  commodious  owned  by  any  parish  club 
in  New  York.  In  fact,  there  were  many  much  more  pre- 
tentious clubs  which  were  not  so  handsomely  housed.  The 
membership  was  not  confined  to  the  parish  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier,  however,  but  included  young  men  from  all  parts  of 
the  city.  It  was  distinctly  a  young  men's  club,  nine-tenths 
of  the  members  being  between  eighteen  and  thirty,  and  was 
restricted  to  Catholics.  The  initiation  fee  was  two  dollars 
and  the  dues  three  dollars  a  year. 

In  the  basement,  which  had  a  twenty- foot  ceiling,  there 
was  a  thoroughly  equipped  gymnasium,  with  a  suspended 
running  track  260  feet  in  length,  four  bowling  alleys  and 
six  baths.  On  the  next  floor,  the  parlor,  reading-room  and 
library  were  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  a  music-room 
seating  from  four  hundred  to  five  hundred  people.  These 
rooms  were  beautifully  fitted  up.  The  floors  were  polished, 
the  ceilings  frescoed  and  the  walls  hung  with  oil  paintings, 
water-colors  and  etchings,  while  rich  rugs  covered  the  floors, 
and  mirrors  and  crystal  chandeliers  added  to  the  beauty  of 
the  rooms.  The  reading-room  was  supplied  with  the  lead- 
ing newspapers,  magazines  and  periodicals,  besides  a  library 
of  about  a  thousand  volumes  of  standard  works. 

On  the  next  floor  were  a  large  waiting-room  and  a  card 
room — of  course,  no  gambling  was  allowed — and  on  the 
third  floor  the  smoking  room,  fitted  up  with  lounges,  easy 
chairs  and  other  comfortable  surroundings.  On  this  floor 
were  also  several  class  rooms,  where  free  instruction  was 
given  in  stenography,  typewriting,  drawing,  etc.  The  whole 
top  floor  was  used  as  a  billiard  room  and  was  one  of  the 

272 


THE  XAVIER   CLUB 

finest  private  billiard  rooms  in  the  city.  It  had  four  billiard 
and  four  pool  tables. 

One  large  room  was  given  up  to  the  meetings  of  the 
Literary  Society  of  St.  Francis  Xavier's  parish.  This 
society  had  long  enjoyed  an  enviable  reputation  for  the  high 
character  of  its  frequent  dramatic  performances  and  literary 
exhibitions.  It  had  been  founded  many  years  before  by 
Father  Thiry,  and  Father  Van  Rensselaer  now  became  its 
Moderator. 

The  government  of  the  Xavier  Club  was  lodged  in  a  gov- 
erning committee,  the  power  of  appointment  being  vested  in 
the  Moderator.  We  get  a  glimpse  of  the  quiet  and  perva- 
sive influence  of  the  man  at  the  helm  in  the  following  extract 
of  a  letter  from  one  of  the  members  of  the  club : 

"Father  Van  was  eminently  straight  and  sincere.  He  had 
such  a  way  of  winning  one's  confidence  that  few  of  the 
young  men  could  come  in  close  contact  with  him  without 
making  a  complete  manifestation  of  conscience.  I  brought 
one  of  my  older  brothers  to  the  Xavier  Club  one  night. 
Father  Van  captured  him  at  once  and  brought  him  into  his 
office.  When  the  captive  came  out  he  remarked:  'A  nice 
trick  to  play  on  a  fellow ;  he  got  everything  out  of  me.' 
From  that  day  onward  the  victim  of  the  trick  was  his  de- 
voted ally.  His  characteristics  are  well  known.  He  moved 
among  the  young  men  without  making  his  presence  felt  and 
at  the  same  time  exercised  a  remarkable  influence  on  them. 
He  was  one  of  the  crowd  rather  than  the  prefect. 

"There  was  no  refusing  Father  Van  Rensselaer  when  he 
put  you  to  do  what  was  for  your  good;  indeed,  he  never 
seemed  to  expect  a  refusal.  A  young  man,  a  new  member, 
came  into  the  Club  one  evening.  'John,'  said  the  Director, 

273 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

'I  want  you  to  be  a  Promoter  of  the  League  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,'  and  taking  hold  of  me  by  the  shoulder  he  added : 
'Here's  the  first  of  your  band.'  I  say  what  I  know,  that 
Promoter  did  his  work  afterwards.  I  got  my  League  leaf- 
lets regularly  while  I  was  in  the  city." 

The  enrolment  for  the  Xavier  Club  steadily  rose  from  a 
few  hundred  in  1890  to  twenty-two  hundred  in  1893.  It 
had  its  difficult  times  in  the  beginning  with  schism  and  even 
incipient  riot,  but  the  tact  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer  suc- 
ceeded in  aiding  it  to  weather  the  storms.  In  the  great 
athletic  meets  of  the  country  its  name  figures  extensively, 
and  always  at  the  top  of  the  list.  Possibly  in  these  days, 
when  the  Holy  Father  has  athletic  societies  show  their 
prowess  in  his  presence,  such  instrumentalities  may  receive 
a  new  impetus. 

The  most  remarkable  appearance  that  "Father  Van"  ever 
made  in  public  was  perhaps  in  the  memorable  Columbus 
parade,  when  the  first  of  the  Catholic  societies  swung  into 
line  at  midday  and  the  last  man  passed  the  grandstand  at 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning.  It  was  night  when  Father  Van 
Kensselaer,  on  horseback,  for  he  was  a  good  horseman,  at 
the  head  of  the  Xavier  Club,  his  Deaf  Mute  Societies,  and 
others  which  he  had  founded  or  was  active  in  promoting, 
came  into  sight.  The  transparencies,  the  torches,  the  roman 
candles,  the  paraphernalia  of  the  various  associations  made 
it  a  notable  section  of  the  procession,  while  the  shouts  and 
the  cheers  that  greeted  the  leader  gave  ample  proof  of  the 
l>opularity  he  enjoyed.  The  men  in  line  responded.  There 
was  a  detachment  carrying  a  banner  with  the  legend  that 
they  were  the  Xavier  Deaf  Mutes.  Behind  them,  not  sep- 
arated by  a  sufficient  interval,  were  some  more  Xavier 

274 


THE  XAVIER   CLUB 

marchers.  "Look  at  the  poor  deaf  mutes  and  dumb  boys," 
exclaimed  an  old  lady ;  and  just  then  the  regulars  burst  out 
with  their  club  yell :  "Hurrah!  Hurrah!  X-A-V-I-E-R  !  " 

-"Poor  things,"  she  continued,  "it's  the  only  consolation 
the  deaf  mutes  have,  to  hear  themselves  shout  like  that." 

In  the  parade  on  that  occasion  the  Xavier  Club  had  more 
young  men  in  line  than  any  other  single  organization,  and 
the  fine  showing  made  by  them  and  their  co-religionists 
drew  forth  at  the  time  the  following  spirited  editorial  from 
the  New  York  Sun:— 

"The  Roman  Catholic  parade  on  Tuesday  night  was  a 
demonstration  of  great  interest  and  significance.  It  is  not 
remarkable  that  many  thousands  of  those  devoted  to  that 
faith  were  in  the  long  line,  and  that  Fifth  avenue  was 
crowded  with  applauding  spectators,  for  the  Roman  Church 
comprises  in  its  fold  the  great  majority  of  the  Christian 
believers  of  New  York.  The  impressiveness  and  the  deep 
significance  of  the  parade  came  from  the  fact  that  nearly 
all  those  who  took  part  in  it  were  young  men. 

"At  this  period  it  is  assumed  in  many  quarters  that  reli- 
gious skepticism  is  prevalent,  among  the  younger  genera- 
tion more  especially,  whether  Catholic  or  Protestant.  The 
sons  are  said  to  be  falling  away  from  the  faith  of  the  fathers 
and  feminine  devotion  is  described  as  chiefly  active  in  keep- 
ing alive  the  flame  of  religious  belief.  The  descendants  of 
Roman  Catholic  immigrants  are  supposed  to  have  shaken 
off  their  ancient  faith  in  a  large  measure,  to  have  become 
comparatively  indifferent  to  it,  and  to  have  passed  beyond 
the  power  of  priestly  control. 

"To  some  extent,  doubtless,  this  is  true.     The  Roman 

875 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

Catholic  Church  needs  to  make  strenuous  and  persistent 
efforts  to  keep  its  hold  on  the  children  of  its  spiritual  house- 
hold who  come  hither  from  Europe.  But  that  the  diversion 
from  its  ranks  was  not  important  was  demonstrated  by  this 
remarkable  parade  of  many  thousands  of  young  men.  The 
recent  Christian  Endeavor  Convention  showed  that  among 
young  Protestants  also,  the  incursions  of  skepticism  have 
not  been  as  serious  as  they  seemed  superficially. 

"The  circumstance  that  these  Roman  Catholic  youth  and 
young  men  came  out  in  numbers  so  vast,  proudly  proclaim- 
ing their  faith  to  the  world,  proved  the  ardor  and  intensity 
of  their  loyalty  to  the  Church.  They  glory  in  being  Roman 
Catholics  and  bearing  banners  and  wearing  insignia  which 
make  known  to  the  multitude  that  they  are  unquestioning 
in  their  religious  allegiance  and  aggressive  in  behalf  of  the 
doctrines  of  the  Church  of  Rome.  'Church  and  Country,' 
was  the  motto  borne  aloft  by  one  of  the  societies,  and  it  is 
the  motto  of  them  all  and  their  inspiring  watchword.  First 
and  foremost  they  count  their  spiritual  citizenship;  but  that 
their  patriotic  allegiance  is  enthusiastic  also,  they  showed 
by  bearing  and  wearing  the  national  colors  as  loyal  citizens 
of  the  republic. 

"When  young  men  are  thus  eager  to  turn  out  in  multi- 
tudes to  manifest  their  fidelity  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  and  their  subjection  to  its  spiritual  sway,  one  of  the 
secrets  of  its  increasing  power  in  this  country  is  revealed. 
The  parade  of  Tuesday  evening  showed  how  deep  the  faith 
of  its  followers  is,  and  how  ardent  is  their  devotion  to  it, 
though  it  makes  no  compromise  with  the  modern  spirit  of 
unbelief,  but  adheres  the  more  stoutly  and  inflexibly  to  the 
.-indent  dogmas  rejected  by  the  contemporary  skepticism, 
which  denies  all  supernatural  religion  whatsoever, 

276 


THE  XAVIER   CLUB 

"The  religious  sentiment  is  still  the  dominant  force  in  the 
world,  and  never  in  all  history  was  it  more  passionate  than 
to-day." 

The  members  of  the  Xavier  Club  will  not  forget  what 
they  owe  to  their  founder  and  director.  As  a  memorial  of 
their  esteem  they  donated  $2,000  to  found  a  scholarship 
under  his  name  in  St.  Francis  Xavier's  College. 


277 


CHAPTER    XIX. 
VARIOUS  WORKS  OF  ZEAL. 

THE  motive  that  actuated  Father  Van  Rensselaer  in  es- 
tablishing the  Xavier  Club  naturally  led  him  to  be  an 
ardent  supporter  of  the  movement  endorsed  by  the  St.  Vin- 
cent de  Paul  Society  to  form  boys'  and  girls'  clubs.  Here 
again  the  old  objection  was  made:  "Why  not  keep  these 
boys  and  girls  at  home?"  The  answer  was,  they  were  not 
at  home,  they  were  on  the  street ;  and  besides,  that  wealthy 
Protestant  churches  of  the  city  were  sweeping  them  in  by 
thousands,  amusing  them,  instructing  them,  getting  them 
situations,  and  weaning  them  from  the  Church.  Perhaps 
by  showing  an  interest  in  them  they  might  be  drawn  away 
from  proselytizing  influences  and  ultimately  induced  to 
spend  their  evenings  at  home,  though  the  tenement  house 
conditions  of  New  York  made  that  a  difficult  proposition 
to  deal  with.  The  front  stoops  and  entries  have  their  draw- 
backs as  well  as  club  rooms,  and  so  he  gave  the  movement 
his  hearty  support. 

Shortly  after  the  founding  of  the  Xavier  Club,  Father 
Van  Rensselaer  also  started  a  club  for  working  girls,  the 
Notre  Dame  Club.  This  flourished  for  a  while,  and  many 
ladies  were  interested  in  it.  At  the  time  of  his  departure 
for  the  tertianship,  the  interest  in  the  club  diminished  and 
it  finally  passed  out  of  existence. 

The  Religious  of  the  Sacred  Heart  conducted  a  club  for 
girls  after  the  school  was  removed  from  the  Convent  on 
Seventeenth  Street.  When  the  house  was  finally  sold  and 
the  nuns  left  the  neighborhood,  the  club  was  left  homeless. 

278 


VARIOUS  WORKS  OF  ZEAL 

loiter  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  instrumental  in  securing 
quarters  for  it  in  the  house  adjoining  the  Nazareth  Nursery 
and  the  charge  of  the  girls  was  assumed  by  the  Children  of 
Mary,  who  are  affiliated  with  the  Religious  of  the  Sacred 
Heart.  It  was  then  called  the  Caritas  Club,  and  continues 
its  good  work  in  the  same  home  which  was  provided  by 
Father  Van  Rensselaer. 

It  is  almost  like  a  contradiction  to  find  this  unwearied 
apostle  of  men  interested  in  babies.  Connected  as  he  was 
with  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  he  knew  the  needs  of 
the  poor  and  saw  the  advantage  of  a  Day  Nursery  where 
poor  mothers  who  had  to  go  out  to  work  could  leave  their 
little  ones  to  be  cared  for.  He  therefore  induced  some  of 
his  wealthy  acquaintances  to  pay  the  expenses  of  a  few 
trained  nurses,  and  then  he  went  around  begging  for  house- 
furnishings  and  food.  One  friend  promised  a  daily  supply 
of  milk,  another  of  bread,  another  of  sugar;  and  though 
the  Day  Nursery  was  started  in  1901,  the  supplies  thus 
generously  furnished  have  continued  uninterruptedly  till  this 
day.  A  store  of  drugs  was  also  contributed  to  be  used  by 
the  sick  poor.  The  nursery  finally  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  and  one  of  Father  Van  Rensse- 
laer's  last  works  was  to  secure  a  house  next  to  the  convent 
to  give  a  permanent  abiding  place  for  the  benevolent  work. 

In  one  instance  of  which  we  have  been  told,  and  doubtless 
it  is  but  one  of  many,  he  went  himself  to  take  the  children 
of  a  sick  woman  to  the  Nursery,  that  they  might  have  the 
happiness  of  going  to  the  country  with  other  little  ones  for 
a  two  weeks'  holiday.  He  carried  the  little  baby  in  his  arms 
and  tenderly  led  the  two  others,  who  could  scarcely  walk 
without  his  helping  hand.  At  the  end  of  the  two  weeks  he 
restored  the  children  to  their  sick  mother. 

279 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

As  was  to  be  expected  of  a  zealous  man,  he  was  most 
resourceful  in  the  cause  of  charity.  In  189-4  his  sister  had 
charge  of  Seton  Hospital  for  consumptives,  which  at  that 
time  had  no  allowance  from  the  city  and  no  means  of  sup- 
porting free  patients.  He  at  once  organized  an  association 
to  collect  money  for  so  deserving  an  object.  He  called  it 
appropriately  the  "Hospitallers  of  Christ."  There  was  a 
pretty  badge  and  rich  spiritual  benefits  for  the  members. 
The  motto  was :  "The  Charity  of  Christ  Presseth  Us."  He 
did  not  stop  there,  but  interested  in  the  work  some  of  his 
faithful  friends  in  the  Fire  Department,  who  every  month 
brought  in  the  contributions  which  they  had  collected  for 
the  Hospitallers,  thus  aiding  in  the  support  of  many  con- 
sumptives among  the  poor. 

Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  one  of  the  first  to  take  up  the 
work  of  the  Catholic  seamen.  He  had  Promoters  of  the 
League  of  the  Sacred  Heart  on  the  different  liners  that  came 
into  port,  and  they  were  so  zealous  in  their  work  that  it  was 
not  an  unusual  thing,  when  a  vessel  was  docked,  to  find 
"Father  Van's"  spiritual  auxiliary,  the  Promoter,  leading 
to  St.  Francis  Xavier's  Church  as  many  as  fifty  oilers,  stok- 
ers and  sailors  to  go  to  confession  and  receive  Holy  Com- 
munion. This  went  on  until  the  diocese  took  up  the  work 
and  appointed  a  permanent  chaplain  to  look  after  the  sea- 
men. 

We  have  before  us  the  list  of  Promoters  which  he  care- 
fully kept,  dating  back  to  1896,  the  year  in  which  the  Sea- 
men's Reading  Room  was  established.  There  is  a  letter 
written  on  the  S.S.  Campania,  November  30,  1896,  and 
signed  by  four  seamen,  three  of  whom  are  found  on  Father 
Van  Rensselaer's  list.  They  are  thanking  Father  McCor- 
mick.  their  new  Director,  for  the  efforts  made  in  their 

280 


VARIOUS  WORKS   OF  ZEAL 

behalf,  but  they  do  not  forget  their  old  friend.    It  is  worth 
giving  in  full: 

"S.S.  CAMPANIA, 

"November  30,  1896. 
"REV.  FATHER  McCoRMicK: 

"We,  the  undersigned,  acting  on  behalf  of  the  Greasers, 
Firemen  and  Trimmers  on  the  above  steamer,  fully  realize 
the  endeavor  made  by  the  Committee  of  the  Catholic  Read- 
ing Room  to  make  our  stay  in  New  York  as  comfortable 
as  possible,  both  spiritually  and  socially,  and  ask  you  to 
convey  to  them  our  sincere  thanks,  accompanied  by  the  en- 
closed amount,  being  the  result  of  a  collection,  of  nine 
pounds,  fourteen  shillings,  and  to  assure  them  of  our  love, 
respect  and  gratitude.  We  also  desire  to  thank  Rev.  Father 
Van  Rensselaer  for  the  kindness  he  has  always  shown 
towards  us.  Trusting,  Rev.  Father,  that  you  will  accept 
this  as  a  sincere  token  of  the  love  and  the  reverence  we  feel 
towards  yourself  and  the  Committee,  we  are,  Rev.  Father, 
"Sincerely  yours, 

"JOSEPH  HARRINGTON, 
"JOHN  DIXON, 
"JAMES  ASHE, 
"JOHN  ROCHE. 
"Signed  in  behalf  of  the  Greasers,  Firemen  and  Trimmers." 

The  Fathers  of  St.  Francis  Xavier's  in  New  York  have 
for  many  years  carried  on  a  mission  among  the  Deaf  Mutes. 
Father  Costin,  as  early  as  1869,  had  learned  the  language 
in  the  Deaf  Mute  Institute  at  Fordham;  Father  Freeman 
succeeded  him  and  went  regularly  to  the  city  to  teach  the 
silent  brethren,  whom  he  had  contrived  to  gather  together, 

281 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

in  the  college  hall ;  and  so  it  went  on  from  year  to  year, 
several  of  the  Fathers  being-  able  to  converse  in  the  sign 
language.  On  any  Sunday  at  the  present  time  you  may  see 
a  group  of  sign-makers  engaged  in  active  conversation  out- 
side the  College  door  after  the  congregation  is  dismissed. 
Besides  the  union  for  strictly  apostolic  work,  various  liter- 
ary, benevolent  and  dramatic  associations  had  also  been 
organized  among  them.  The  dramatic  element  asserted  itself 
frequently,  and  every  year  theatrical  representations  of  gor- 
geously costumed  five-act  dramas  were  given  before  large 
audiences  which  talked  incessantly  -across  the  hall  to  people 
in  the  opposite  seats  without,  however,  causing  any  audible 
disturbance.  The  acting  was,  of  course,  all  pantomime,  but 
most  artistically  performed,  affording  continual  pleasure  to 
the  eye.  Some  one  behind  the  scenes  interpreted  meantime 
for  the  afflicted  part  of  the  audience  who  could  hear,  but 
could  not  understand. 

This  dramatic  association  and  most  of  the  others  had  for 
one  reason  or  another  been  disrupted,  and  the  deaf-mutes 
were  held  together  only  by  the  bond  of  their  religious  neces- 
sities. But  the  Good  Samaritan  came  in  the  person  of 
Father  Van  Rensselaer.  He  did  not  know  a  word  of  the 
sign  language,  but  in  some  mysterious  way  he  succeeded  in 
binding  up  the  wounds  of  the  various  organizations,  set 
them  on  their  feet  again,  gave  them  the  wine  and  oil  of  his 
advice,  and  all  are  now  rejoicing  in  their  former  vigor.  The 
glory  of  this  resurrection  is  accorded  by  the  present  Direc- 
tor of  Deaf-mutes  to  Father  Van  Rensselaer.  Indeed,  the 
various  societies  themselves  convened  after  his  death  and 
framed  a  set  of  resolutions  which  they  published  in  all  the 
local  Catholic  papers. 

Such  was  the  character  of  his  work.  He  never  waited  to 

282 


VARIOUS  WORKS  OF  ZEAL 

be  approached.  He  was  out  hunting  for  souls  and  always 
acting  in  obedience  to  the  command:  Compellc  intrare.  He 
was  called  long  distances  to  visit  the  sick  beds  of  the  timid 
or  obdurate,  and  it  was  a  common  thing  for  sinners  who 
were  not  sick  to  be  sent  to  him,  "for  he  was  easy  with  men." 
One  poor  fellow  had  been  induced  by  his  friends  to  go 
down  to  see  him,  and  so  one  night  while  "Father  Van"  was 
seated  in  his  confessional  he  saw  the  newcomer  nervously 
going  about  studying  the  names  on  the  confessionals.  He 
was  on  the  point  of  giving  up,  not  finding  the  one  for  which 
he  was  looking.  His  spiritual  agitation  had  driven  it  out 
of  his  mind.  Father  Van  Rensselaer  came  out  to  help  him : 
"Are  you  looking  for  anybody  in  particular?"  "I  am," 
said  the  other.  "Well,  what  is  his  name?"  "I  don't  know ; 
I've  forgotten  it.  Maybe  it  was  Kelleher  or  Kinsella,  or 
something  like  that."  As  Kelleher  and  Kinsella  were  near 
enough  to  Rensselaer,  he  had  evidently  found  his  man,  or 
his  man  had  found  him,  and  it  took  but  a  short  time  to  put 
the  best  robe  on  the  poor  shamefaced  prodigal. 

It  was  not,  however,  for  the  ordinary  sinner  that  he  felt 
an  attraction.  He  sought  the  most  abandoned  ones,  visited 
them  in  prisons,  and  stood  with  them  on  the  scaffold,  al- 
though his  almost  feminine  aversion  for  anything  shocking 
or  ghastly  prompted  him  to  avoid  that  kind  of  work.  He 
was  a  constant  visitor  to  the  cell  of  Carlyle  Harris  at  Sing 
Sing,  and  succeeded  in  making  him  a  Catholic  before  he 
was  executed. 

Were  a  visitor  at  the  College  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  to 
glance  at  one  of  the  parlors  on  any  Wednesday  night,  he 
would  see  it  crowded  with  men  of  all  conditions.  In  the 
midst  of  them  sat  Father  Van  Rensselaer.  He  was  pre- 
paring them  for  baptism.  He  kept  up  the  work  year  in  and 

283 


LIFE   OF   T1ENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

year  out ;  new  groups  taking  the  place  of  the  old  ones.  How 
many  men  he  thus  brought  to  the  Faith  we  have  no  means 
of  determining  at  the  present  moment,  but  the  persistency 
with  which  lie  continued  the  exacting  labor,  even  when 
suffering  from  the  ailment  which  finally  carried  him  off,  is 
worthy  of  all  praise.  Of  course  his  work  lives  after  him, 
and  this  class  of  instruction  for  converts  is  continued  after 
the  methods  which  he  adopted. 


284 


CHAPTER    XX. 
IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

THE  casual  observer  would  not  have  imagined  that 
Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  the  kind  of  a  person  that 
men  of  all  classes  would  take  to.  He  was  tall,  handsome, 
refined,  well-built,  well  set  up;  a  most  presentable  man  in 
many  ways,  indeed,  but  there  was  nothing  of  the  hail-fellow- 
well-met  in  him.  He  was  not  expansive,  hearty,  jovial, 
witty,  and  he  lacked  many  of  the  qualities  that  make  for 
companionship  and  sociability.  Indeed,  he  was  rather  fem- 
inine in  his  general  ways  and  manner  of  approach,  but  he 
was  undeniably  a  favorite.  His  refusal  to  undertake  the 
direction  of  women,  his  evident  desire  to  win  men  to  the 
practice  of  religion,  and  his  unsparing  labor  in  pursuit  of 
that  end  always  assured  him  a  welcome,  and  made  success 
a  foregone  conclusion.  His  boldness  in  accosting  men  of  all 
conditions  of  life,  even  total  strangers  wherever  or  when- 
ever he  met  them,  on  the  street,  in  the  cars,  on  steamboats, 
in  stores,  in  social  gatherings,  was  at  times  startling,  and 
one  would  fancy  exposed  him  to  insults  and  rebuke  for 
what  might  seem  his  meddlesome  officiousness ;  but  he  does 
not  seem  to  have  met  with  any  such  rebuffs.  Perhaps  his 
very  boldness  in  inquiring  so  abruptly  and  so  audaciously 
about  a  man's  spiritual  condition  or  religious  belief,  took 
from  the  individual  he  addressed  the  power  of  making  what 
would  have  been  thought  the  natural  reply. 

A  careful  study  of  the  man  and  his  methods  leads  to  the 
conclusion  that  laying  aside  the  supernatural  influence  of 

285 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

grace  which  always  aids  the  zealous  priest  in  his  quest  of 
souls,  the  key  to  Father  Van  Rensselaer's  success  with  men 
is  to  be  found  in  his  personal  interest  in  every  one  he  under- 
took to  help  or  to  convert.  It  was  very  gratifying-  for  one 
to  be  able  to  look  upon  this  noble  priest  as  a  personal  friend. 
One  could  not  help  believing  that  such  was  the  case  when 
he  saw  that  the  interest  of  his  spiritual  guide  never  flagged. 
Meet  him  once  and  you  knew  him  or  rather  he  knew  you 
forever.  Years  of  absence  did  not  obliterate  the  casual  ac- 
quaintance from  his  memory.  He  could  always  begin  the 
conversation  where  it  was  broken  off  at  the  last  meeting. 
He  was  ready  with  an  inquiry  about  health  or  family  or 
employment,  always  winding  up  with  a  reference  to  the  care 
of  the  man's  soul. 

The  success  of  some  leaders  among  men  is  often  attrib- 
uted to  their  wonderful  power  of  recalling  names  or  faces. 
With  such  a  memory  was  "Father  Van"  gifted  to  a  re- 
markable degree.  He  rarely  missed  a  name,  and  it  was 
usually  by  the  familiar  Christian  name  Tom  or  John  or 
Mike  that  he  addressed  them.  It  was  a  familiarity  that  in- 
creased confidence,  but  never  lessened  respect. 

The  method  of  appointing  a  day  and  hour  to  meet  him 
at  the  rectory  was  another  effective  way  of  capturing  his 
quarry.  An  entry  in  his  diary  like  the  following  shows  how 
he  worked :  "Andy  M.  Fireman,  Friday  at  2,  and  two 
policemen."  He  was  well  aware  that  true  conversion  means 
a  complete  change  of  heart,  and  he  employed  all  the  re- 
sourcefulness of  his  wide  and  varied  experience  to  help  him 
to  move  the  will  of  the  most  hardened.  Some  one  said  that 
it  was  not  safe  for  a  sinner  to  be  three  minutes  in  his  com- 
pany. An  instance  or  two  may  illustrate  this. 

On  one  occasion  he  was  assisting  at  a  mission  in  the 

286 


IN   THE  MINISTRY 

parish  of  a  distinguished  and  zealous  pastor  who  was  con- 
spicuous in  the  attention  that  both  he  and  his  curates  gave 
to  their  flock.  One  morning  the  barber  came  to  the  house 
for  the  usual  exercise  of  his  skill.  Father  Van  Rensselaer 
took  his  turn  in  the  chair,  and  before  the  operation  was  fin- 
ished he  found  that  the  man  with  the  razor  and  brush  was 
a  lapsed  Catholic  who  had  been  some  years  away  from  his 
duty.  Getting  him  to  confession  was,  of  course,  easy,  and 
to  the  astonishment  of  the  worthy  pastor,  who  tells  the  story 
himself,  the  man  who  had  been  so  close  to  him  for  so  long 
a  time,  and  whose  spiritual  condition  he  never  even  sus- 
pected, was  made  suddenly,  by  an  outsider,  a  devout  mem- 
ber of  the  parish. 

Another  example  may  be  quoted  as  illustrative  of  this 
rapidity  of  apostolic  work.  Standing  at  the  grave  of  the 
father  of  one  of  his  devoted  friends,  he  said  something  or 
other  to  the  husbands  of  two  of  the  mourners,  and  discov- 
ered what  he  had  not  known  before,  that  they  were  not 
Catholics.  Possibly  the  earth  falling  on  the  coffin  gave 
point  to  his  words,  but  at  all  events,  there  in  the  cemetery, 
before  the  homeward  procession  left  the  gates,  the  conver- 
sion of  the  two  men  began,  and  to  the  delight  of  every  one 
they  were  shortly  afterwards  baptized,  and  have  ever  since 
proved  excellent  Catholics.  What  gives  point  to  the  inci- 
dent is  that  there  was  a  priest  in  the  family,  a  close  relative 
of  the  two  men  who  were  so  expeditiously  transferred  to  the 
Lord's  household. 

Suavity  and  gentleness  usually  characterized  his  inter- 
course with  ojhers,  but  there  were  times  when  something 
akin  to  rudeness  ap|>eared  in  his  manner  of  dealing  with 
men  which  came  like  a  shock  to  the  chance  observer. 

A  member  of  a  theatrical  company,  a  man  long  negligent 

287 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

of  his  religious  duties,  paid  him  a  visit  one  day,  persuaded, 
no  doubt,  by  some  one  in  the  troupe,  for  the  friends  of 
Father  Van  Rensselaer  were  everywhere.  The  priest  took 
his  visitor  into  the  fine  church  and  then  into  the  sacristy, 
where  he  showed  him  the  rich  vestments  and  the  sanctuary 
treasures.  It  was  a  commendable  device,  adopted  doubtless 
in  order  to  bring  into  the  presence  of  his  Maker  one  who 
had  not  been  inside  a  sacred  edifice  for  many  years.  He 
was  shown  even  some  of  the  precious  vessels  which  the 
priest  took  from  the  massive  safe  where  they  are  kept  for 
greater  security  when  not  in  use.  The  visitor  was  so 
charmed  with  the  beauty  of  a  gold  chalice  studded  with 
precious  stones  that  in  a  moment  of  abstraction  he  stretched 
out  his  hand  to  touch  it.  As  he  did  so  he  received  from 
Father  Van  Rensselaer  a  smart  blow  on  the  back  of  his 
hand. 

The  blow  was  so  severe  that  the  narrator  seemed  to  feel 
the  pain  of  it  when  telling  the  story  long  after.  He  turned 
to  "Father  Van"  with  a  look  of  expostulation,  but  was  so 
astounded  that  for  the  moment  he  said  nothing.  "Don't 
you  know  that  a  layman  is  not  allowed  to  handle  a  conse- 
crated vessel  of  the  altar?"  Well,  he  had  not  known  it,  but 
the  blow  drove  the  lesson  home.  He  apologized  for  the 
unintentional  irreverence,  and  perhaps  the  shame  and  con- 
fusion he  felt  brought  with  it  the  grace  of  sorrow  and  re- 
pentance. Certainly  before  leaving  he  made  his  reconcilia- 
tion with  God  through  the  Sacrament  of  Penance,  became  a 
frequent  communicant  and  has  remained  so  ever  since. 

An  actress  once  came  to  Father  Van  Rensselaer.  Per- 
haps it  was  a  friendly  visit;  more  likely  it  was  with  the 
intention  of  beginning  a  sadly  needed  reformation.  He 
would  not  hear  her  confession,  but  advised  her  to  go  to  some 

288 


IN   THE   MINISTRY 

one  else.  Before  dismissing  her,  however,  he  said  :  "There 
are  many  Catholic  young  women  on  the  stage,  and  some  of 
them  doubtless  you  meet  from  time  to  time,  do  you  not? 
Well,  I  wish  you  to  gather  as  many  as  you  can  into  the 
Apostleship  of  Prayer.  Tell  them  about  the  morning  offer- 
ing and  see  that  they  get  their  leaflet  every  month.  Don't 
be  too  aggressive,  for  you  may  overdo  and  thus  spoil  your 
work."  This  person  became  a  most  exemplary  Catholic  and 
to-day  exercises  a  commendable  apostolate  among  women. 

Down  in  one  of  the  Southern  States  bordering  on  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  is  the  foreman  of  a  gang  of  miners 
(workers  in  iron) — he  is  a  model  to  his  men  and  all  look 
up  to  him  with  respect.  He  attends  Mass  daily  and  is  a 
frequent  communicant.  Father  Van  Rensselaer  met  him 
years  ago  on  one  of  the  tug-boats  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York  and  coaxed  him  to  go  to  confession.  It  was  for  him 
the  beginning  of  a  new  life. 

Many  a  time  was  Father  Van  Rensselaer  sent  for  from 
different  parts  of  the  city  to  visit  men  who  had  neglected 
their  religion,  perhaps  for  years,  and  who  on  their  death- 
beds refused  to  see  any  other  priest  than  "Father  Van."  He 
always  found  the  way  to  win  their  souls. 

Two  hundred  miles  from  New  York  two  pious  women 
lived  with  their  old  father,  who  had  long  neglected  his 
church.  They  heard  of  the  New  York  priest  and  of  his  zeal 
and  success  with  men.  Without  any  misgiving  they  under- 
took the  journey  to  the  distant  city  and  asked  their  father 
to  accompany  them.  The  result  was  what  they  anticipated. 
Not  only  was  the  sinner  reconciled  after  the  carelessness 
and  indifference  of  twenty  years,  but  on  returning  to  his 
home  he  was  constantly  singing  the  praises  of  "Father 
Van,"  as  "one  of  the  grandest  men  God  ever  made.'' 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

What  impression,  one  may  ask,  did  Father  Van  Rens- 
selaer  make  on  the  stranger,  one,  for  example  who  came  to 
New  York  from  a  distance  and  casually  saw  him  or  heard 
him  preach?  The  following  letter  from  one  who  lives  many 
miles  from  New  York  may  help  us  to  know : 

"I,  of  course,  often  heard  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer,  but 
never  saw  him  until  a  few  years  ago,  when  I  was  in  New 
York  and  went  one  Sunday  to  the  high  Mass  at  St.  Francis 
Xavier's,  and  heard  a  sermon  preached  after  the  dreadful 
Slocum  disaster.  I  was  so  deeply  impressed  by  it,  as  well 
as  by  the  priest  who  preached  it,  that  at  the  door  I  asked 
who  he  was.  I  never  heard  more  devotion  or  feeling  in  a 
voice  than  in  his  who  answered  me,  'That's  our  Father 
Van/  Two  years  ago,  seeing  a  funeral  at  the  church,  I  went 
in  for  the  Mass  and  afterward  Father  Van  came  down  and 
stood  in  the  vestibule.  I  was  impelled  to  go  and  speak  to 
him,  and  have  never  forgotten  his  cordiality  nor  his  beau- 
tiful smile  as  he  answered  my  questions.  I  read  in  the  paper 
of  his  attack  last  spring  and  watched  carefully  for  news  of 
him.  His  death  was  really  a  shock  to  me  and  my  eyes  are 
full  of  tears  as  I  am  writing,  as  they  have  been  many  times 
since  I  read  of  his  death." 

Father  Van  Rensselaer's  mother  often  made  her  son  the 
agent  of  her  charity.  Making  the  round  of  parish  visits, 
he  came  upon  an  exquisitely  clean  little  woman  who  lived  in 
a  rear  tenement.  She  was  quilting  industriously  and  Father 
Van  asked  her  how  much  she  could  make  at  the  work.  She 
told  him  that  by  working  steadily  all  day  she  earned  a 
dollar  and  a  half  a  week,  and  that  after  paying  her  rent  she 
had  but  one  dollar  left  for  food  for  the  month.  From  that 

290 


IN   THE  MINISTRY 

day  the  rent  was  paid  by  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer,  and  when 
the  latter  died  ten  years  later  the  charity  was  continued  in 
her  memory  by  one  of  her  daughters. 

Two  poor  old  women  sisters  lived  alone  in  one  of  the 
crowded  tenement  houses  of  the  parish.  Apart  from  the 
help  given  them  by  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer  they  had  no  means 
of  support.  One  day  a  neighbor  called  to  see  them  and 
found  Father  Van  in  his  shirtsleeves  preparing  tea  for  his 
charges,  who  were  both  sick  abed.  It  was  a  very  emphatic 
way  of  teaching  a  lesson  to  the  other  tenants  of  the  house, 
and  once  the  story  got  out,  the  good  old  people  received 
every  attention  from  the  neighbors.  Again,  he  was  dis- 
covered on  his  knees  scrubbing  the  floor  of  a  little  kitchen 
of  one  of  his  poor  parishioners  who  lay  sick  in  a  room  ad- 
joining. Dirt  and  disease  had  no  terrors  for  the  good 
priest,  who  ministered  just  as  lovingly  to  the  sick  in  unclean 
surroundings  as  to  those  who  were  clean  and  cared  for  by 
relatives. 

A  New  York  society  woman,  one  day  talking  with  Father 
Van  Rensselaer,  made  a  flippant  and  somewhat  irreverent 
remark  about  the  screen  which  divides  the  priest  and  peni- 
tent in  the  confessional.  Father  Van  Rensselaer  adminis- 
tered a  severe  reproof,  and  his  reproof  made  such  an  im- 
pression that,  in  memory  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer,  she  has 
ordered  a  handsome  confessional  to  be  made  after  a  special 
design  for  the  new  Spanish  church  uptown.  She  is  not  yet 
a  Catholic. 

One  day  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  seen  on  Sixth  Ave- 
nue with  two  men  who  were  very  drunk.  He  took  them  to 
a  drug  store.  Some  one  asked  him  about  it  in  joke;  he 
blushed  and  said  that  the  two  men  were  freight  handlers  in 
the  Lackawanna  yards  and  it  was  their  off  day.  Temptation 

291 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

had  overtaken  them  and  they  had  spent  all  their  money  in 
a  saloon.  He  was  taking  them  to  a  drug  store  to  give  them 
each  a  dose  of  bromide  to  straighten  them  up  so  that  they 
might  be  fit  to  report  for  work  and  not  lose  their  jobs.  To 
make  sure  of  this,  he  sent  a  man  down  to  the  yards  with 
them. 

In  these  and  countless  other  instances  of  his  charity 
known  to  the  recording  angel  only,  one  is  forcibly  reminded 
of  St.  Paul,  who  appealed  to  the  clergy  of  Ephesus  as  he 
was  bidding  them  a  sad  farewell,  "for  they  should  see  his 
face  no  more."  To  them  he  recounted  in  general  the  good 
example  he  had  ever  given  and  he  was  able  to  add.  "such 
things  as  were  needful  for  me  and  for  them  that  are  with 
me,  these  hands  have  furnished,  I  have  showed  you  all 
things,  that  so  laboring  you  ought  to  support  the  weak  and 
to  remember  the  word  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  said :  It  is  a 
more  blessed  thing  to  give  than  to  receive." 

On  his  way  home  from  a  sick  call  between  one  and  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  saw  a  light  in  an  upper  window 
and  started  to  investigate.  He  must  have  known  the  house 
and  the  residents  of  the  parish  very  well,  for  he  had  no 
hesitation  in  climbing  the  long  flights  of  stairs  until  he 
reached  the  room.  He  found  there  a  man,  one  of  his 
parishioners,  dangerously  ill  and  without  attendance.  His 
visit  seemed  miraculous,  it  was  so  unexpected  and  timely. 
The  explanation  was  simple:  the  good  priest  was  like  the 
Good  Shepherd,  ever  watching  over  his  flock.  No  wonder 
that  the  loss  of  this  devoted  priest  has  been  so  deeply  felt, 
and  that  the  poor  of  St.  Francis  Xavier's  parish  hold  him  in 
tender  and  loving  remembrance. 

Here  is  a  story  of  two  of  his  tramps,  one  of  them  a 
Protestant  They  were  "pals"  and  had  been  so  for  many 

292 


IN   THE   MINISTRY 

years,  and  "Father  Van"  was  their  sole  friend.  He  had  a 
hard  time  keeping  them  straight,  in  fact,  he  can  hardly  be 
said  ever  to  have  succeeded.  But  no  matter  how  often  they 
fell  into  bad  ways  and  broke  the  pledge  as  soon  as  they 
sobered  up  they  were  back  to  the  priest,  knowing  they  de- 
served reproof,  but  certain  of  a  word  of  encouragement 
from  the  tramps'  friend.  More  than  once  they  came  to  him 
at  night,  especially  during  a  severe  winter  when  they  were 
out  of  work ;  he  saw  that  they  had  comfortable  lodging  for 
the  night  and  enough  money,  provided  it  was  not  used  for 
drink,  to  keep  them  from  starving.  His  last  kind  service 
was  to  get  them  work  in  a  lumber  camp  in  Maine,  and  it 
was  from  this  engagement  they  had  just  returned  to  New 
York,  when  one  of  them  blurted  out  this  story.  For  six 
months  they  had  not  touched  a  drop  of  liquor,  not  owing  to 
any  drastic  enforcement  of  the  prohibition  State,  but  rather 
through  fidelity  to  the  last  pledge  taken  from  "Father  Van." 
A  month  I>efore  they  reached  New  York  their  indulgent 
patron  had  been  laid  to  rest.  On  their  arrival  in  the  city, 
not  having  learned  of  his  death,  they  made  at  once  for 
St.  Francis  Xavier's  with  all  the  bright  expectations  of 
a  happy  meeting.  Judge  of  their  surprise  and  grief  when 
they  heard  that  he  was  no  more.  Their  only  consolation 
was  a  visit  to  the  little  cemetery  at  Fordham  and  a  prayer 
and  a  sob  over  his  grave. 

To  ask  how  Father  Van  Rensselaer,  with  the  multiplicity 
of  his  engagements,  was  able  to  visit  many  hospitals  far 
apart  at  the  petition  of  patients,  who  were  cither  acquainted 
with  him  personally  or  thought  of  him  in  time  of  suffering 
or  when  death  was  impending,  is  to  seek  to  understand  how 
a  man  of  zeal  can  do  more  than  the  ordinary  worker.  Where 
there's  a  will  there's  a  way,  is  as  true  of  the  spiritual  activ- 

298 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

ities  of  a  priest  as  of  anything  else.  The  New  York  Hos- 
pital was  only  a  stone's  throw  from  St.  Francis  Xavier's, 
and  naturally  it  was  there  that  his  fruitful  ministry  in  be- 
half of  the  sick  was  more  frequently  exercised.  Father 
Van  Rensselaer  was  not  persona  grata  with  the  officials  of 
that  institution,  though  he  had  two  relatives  on  the  board 
of  directors,  and  Dr.  Delafield,  physician  to  the  hospital, 
was  his  brother-in-law.  One  might  suppose  that  this  would 
have  given  him  an  entree  denied  to  others.  Not  so;  the 
discipline  of  the  hospital  was  to  be  strictly  maintained; 
it  helped  to  order  and  efficiency.  No  Catholic  would  be 
denied  the  comforts  of  his  religion,  but  on  the  other  hand 
no  priest  would  be  admitted  except  at  the  request  of  the 
patient.  Were  the  rule  rigidly  enforced  many  a  soul 
would  be  lost,  for  frequently  the  patient  is  not  aware  of 
the  serious  nature  of  his  illness,  perhaps  has  only  occa- 
sional moments  of  consciousness,  or  his  friends  are  apa- 
thetic or  fear  to  alarm  him,  with  the  consequence  that  the 
priest  is  never  summoned  or  comes  when  his  services 
are  of  doubtful  or  no  avail.  Even  when  there  is  no  imme- 
diate danger  of  death,  how  often  are  the  kind  words  of  the 
minister  of  Christ  the  instrument  that  sets  in  motion  all  the 
wonderful  machinery  of  God's  saving  grace.  Father  Van 
Rensselaer  chafed  under  the  restrictions  set  by  the  hospital 
officials,  especially  that  regulation  which  allowed  him  to 
help  only  the  patient  who  had  sent  for  him.  In  this  hos- 
pital a  young  man — we  had  better  call  him  "a  Bowery 
l)oy" — quite  friendless  and  alone,  was  lying  ill  on  one  of 
the  cots  provided  for  such  cases.  He  was  unwilling  to 
call  for  a  priest,  rather  he  never  thought  of  doing  so,  for 
though  baptized  in  infancy  he  had  drifted  away  with  the 
children  of  the  slums,  one  of  the  strays  who  had  escaped 

294 


IN   THE  MINISTRY 

Father  Drumgoole's  net.  If  he  had  received  his  first  Holy 
Communion  it  was  the  only  religious  influence  which  had 
entered  into  his  life.  A  good  Catholic  woman,  who  on  the 
score  of  friendship  was  admitted  to  see  him,  placed  a  cru- 
cifix at  the  foot  of  his  bed  which  the  dying  man  might  see, 
hoping  that  the  sight  of  the  emblem  of  salvation  might  sug- 
gest a  pious  thought  or  aspiration  from  the  lips,  or  better 
still,  from  the  heart  of  the  sufferer.  Shortly  after  the  Good 
Samaritan  in  the  person  of  "Father  Van"  passed  that  way. 
That  day  he  had  been  summoned  to  a  patient,  and  having 
attended  to  his  charge,  he  was  on  his  way  out.  The  sight 
of  the  crucifix  attracted  his  attention,  and  in  that  instant  he 
forgot  all  about  the  rules.  "What's  your  name?"  he  said. 
"Chimmie  Quinn."  The  priest  took  his  chair  and  drew  near 
the  bed.  He  laid  his  hand  on  that  of  the  sick  lad  and  said : 
"Put  it  there,  Chimmie;  now  you  and  I  are  going  to  be 
friends,"  and  they  were  friends  forthwith.  The  rest  was 
easy.  The  priest  soon  won  his  confidence  and  after  hearing 
the  story  of  the  lad's  life,  seeing  no  immediate  danger,  he 
departed,  with  a  promise  he  would  soon  come  again. 
Later  the  friend  who  had  left  the  crucifix  came  to  inquire 
alxnit  the  condition  of  the  sufferer  and  heard  from 
the  nurse  that  he  had  only  a  few  hours  to  live.  She  hastened 
to  summon  Father  Van  Rensselaer.  The  church  was  only 
a  few  steps  away.  She  found  him  hearing  confessions,  for 
it  was  Saturday,  and  as  usual  his  confessional  was  sur- 
rounded by  young  men  and  old,  policemen,  letter-carriers, 
firemen,  many  in  their  respective  uniforms,  waiting  for 
their  favorite,  much  beloved  "Father  Van."  The  priest 
hurried  to  the  hospital,  which  he  reached  in  time  to  give 
the  consolations  of  religion  to  the  repentant  sinner.  A 
little  group  soon  gathered  and  knelt  at  Jim's  bedside,  and 

295 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

when  he  breathed  his  last  "Father  Van"  took  his  place 
among  them.  "A  great  wave  of  peace  seemed  to  hover 
over  the  living  as  well  as  the  dead"  as  they  said  the  De  Pro- 
fundis  and  murmured  a  Requiescat  in  Pace  for  Jim's 
soul. 

One  day  when  he  was  in  the  Confessional  a  man  came  to 
him  and  said :  "Father,  I  am  a  Protestant,  but  I  am  in  great 
trouble.  I  have  heard  of  you,  although  I  am  a  stranger  in 
the  city,  and  I  thought  you  would  help  me."  He  had  a 
good  position  on  the  Isthmus  and  was  going  back  to  his 
family,  who  lived  in  a  neighboring  city.  He  had  quite  a 
sum  of  money  when  he  arrived  in  New  York,  but  falling 
into  the  hands  of  sharpers  had  lost  it  all.  He  had  no 
money  to  get  home.  Father  Van  Rensselaer  said :  "I 
have  nothing  to  give  you  here.  Go  to  a  clergyman  of  your 
own  church  and  see  what  he  will  do  for  you."  He  gave 
the  man  a  little  change  for  a  night's  lodging,  and  he  went 
off.  The  following  day  he  reappeared  at  the  College  and 
said :  "I  went  to  the  clergyman  and  he  referred  me  to  the 
Charity  Organization  Society  to  have  my  case  investigated, 
but  when  I  found  I  had  to  give  my  name  and  antecedents, 
bringing  disgrace  upon  a  respectable  family,  I  came  away 
and  back  to  you."  He  brought  letters  which  confirmed  the 
truth  of  his  story,  but  one  of  them  showed  that  he  was  a 
Free  Mason.  "Why  not  apply  to  them,"  Father  Van  Rens- 
selaer said,  "they  are  bound  to  help  a  brother  in  distress." 
"So  they  are,"  the  man  replied,  "but  the  report  would  be 
sent  oh  to  my  Lodge,  and  I  should  be  disgraced  in  the  eyes 
of  all  my  associates,  and  I  assure  you  this  is  my  first  of- 
fence." The  priest  could  no  longer  resist,  he  took  him  to  a 
friend,  a  private  detective,  to  whom  he  gave  money  to  re- 
lease his  trunk  and  buy  a  railroad  ticket.  He  saw  him  safely 

29(5 


IN   THE   MINISTRY 

on  the  train.  The  next  week  Father  Van  Rensselaer  re- 
ceived a  most  grateful  letter  saying  that  when  the  man 
reached  home  and  his  wife  and  son,  a  young  lad,  greeted 
him,  he  felt  what  a  blessing  it  was  to  have  saved  them  from 
the  pang  of  knowing  his  disgrace.  However,  he  never  re- 
turned the  money  as  he  had  promised. 


CHAPTER    XXL 
ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  MISSION. 

FATHER  VAN  RENSSELAER  as  we  have  seen,  had 
for  many  years  ambitioned  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions of  the  missionary  life,  especially  among  the  Indians  of 
the  North-West.  Perhaps  he  felt  called  upon  to  interest 
others  in  a  work  from  which  he  himself  was  debarred,  and 
to  send  as  many  substitutes  to  that  field  as  possible.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  several  young  men  whom  he  met  in  New  York 
and  elsewhere  with  an  aptitude  for  such  work  were  encour- 
aged by  him  to  offer  themselves  for  the  Indian  missions,  and 
the  way  for  their  acceptance  by  the  superiors  was  made  easy. 
Most  of  them  are  now  ordained  and  at  present  all  are  en- 
gaged in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Mission,  which  to-day  forms 
a  part  of  the  Province  of  California. 

One  of  these  proteges  writes  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer's 
recruits  in  the  far  West :  "How  did  we  come  to  know  him 
and  what  information  can  we  give  of  him  and  of  ourselves? 
Were  we  together  to  write  an  answer  to  these  questions,  we 
could  add  no  doubt  some  interesting  details  for  a  chapter, 
and  we  should  attempt  it  with  a  willing  heart,  for  it  would 
be  indeed  a  work  of  love.  But  since  the  mission  to  which 
he  offered  himself  and  to  which  he  directed  us  has  been 
united  with  California  and  grown  into  a  Province,  we  are 
very  far  apart.  I  fear  we  shall  never  be  able  to  put  into 
words  how  much  we  esteemed  him.  We  would  rather  live 
it.  Could  we  form  a  consensus  of  opinion  on  his  best  qual- 
ities, one  of  our  number  might  transmit  it  to  you  in  the 

298 


ROCKY   MOUNTAIN   MISSION 

language  of  the  Cheyennes,  another  in  that  of  the  Crows, 
but  hundreds  of  miles  separate  those  whom  he  sent  over  the 
continent  to  do  God's  work.  It  is  now  twenty  years  and 
longer  for  some  of  us,  since  he  showed  the  way,  pointing 
westward,  and  I  think  I  can  safely  say,  speaking  for  myself 
I  cerainly  can,  that  in  those  years  there  has  never  been  a 
moment's  regret  for  having  followed  his  direction.  God's 
outstretched  arm  is  visible  everywhere.  On  our  great  days, 
such  as  the  occasion  of  our  religious  vows,  Father  Van's 
word  came,  glowing  as  we  knew  it,  from  his  great  heart ; 
it  was  a  brief  word  such  as  a  busy  man  might  write,  but  it 
came  to  congratulate  and  encourage.  I  do  not  suppose  he 
ever  knew  how  much  that  word  was  talked  of  and  appre- 
ciated in  the  land  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Indians  in  Idaho, 
where  we  spent  the  first  years  of  religious  life.  We  might 
have  voiced  our  appreciation  in  Kalispel — we  were  studying 
the  language — but  we  used  English;  for,  needless  to  state, 
we  found  it  much  easier. 

"Our  Indians,  as  you  are  aware,  are  dwindling  in  num- 
l>ers  and  disappearing.  The  remnant  is  being  crowded  out 
by  the  whites  year  after  year;  their  lands,  bought  by  the 
Government  for  a  nominal  sum,  are  being  apportioned  off 
to  new-coming  white  settlers.  The  poor  redman,  who  once 
possessed  all  this  country  and  counted  as  his  own  the  game 
of  forest  and  plain,  as  well  as  the  fish  of  our  lakes  and 
rivers,  is,  to  all  appearances  doomed.  The  Fathers  of  our 
Society  are  doing  everything  possible  in  a  spiritual  way  for 
the  disinherited  survivors;  the  oldest  missionaries  both 
Fathers  and  Brothers,  who  came  in  pioneer  days  to  a  life 
of  hardship  and  sacrifice,  having  reaped  a  rich  harvest  of 
souls,  are  now  almost  all  gone  to  possess  the  Kingdom 
everlasting  with  their  red-skin  children.  Our  work  for  the 

299 


LIFE  OF   HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

future  will  be  more  for  the  paleface  than  for  his  swarthy 
brother.  Indeed,  1  believe  that,  had  our  good  'Father  Van' 
been  permitted  to  come  to  the  Rockies,  as  he  volunteered,  he 
would  have  been  assigned  to  a  post  among  the  whites  where 
he  could  do  most  good.  He  was  not  permitted;  he  had  a 
larger  and  more  fruitful  field  in  New  York,  where  he  la- 
bored and  died.  Heaven  has  gained  more  souls  and  we  are 
not  complaining  because  Superiors  saw  fit  to  keep  him. 

"Odd  as  the  appellation  may  seem  at  our  age,  we  are 
proud  to  class  ourselves  still  among  'Father  Van's  boys.' 
In  the  northern  part  of  the  State  of  Washington  there  is 
one  of  our  number  in  charge  of  a  Central  Mission,  whence 
our  priests  minister  to  Indians  and  whites  at  points  some  of 
them  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  distant.  Another  in  the 
centre  of  the  State  is  engrossed  in  the  education  of'  the 
young  men  of  a  thriving  city.  While  still  another  is  at 
work  in  his  own  quiet  way  where  Puget  Sound  gives  Alaska 
and  the  Orient  a  waterway  to  Seattle,  the  most  thriving 
city  of  the  growing  North-West.  One  is  at  college  work  in 
San  Francisco,  another  in  the  cure  of  souls  in  a  beautiful 
town  amid  the  vineyards  of  California:  still  another  is  Su- 
perior of  a  Mission  Station  for  Indians  and  whites  in  Mon- 
tana; the  writer  is  doing  his  little  best  in  a  college  class- 
room, and  there  are  others  elsewhere.  But  wherever  they 
l>e  one  and  all  at  the  mention  of  'Father  Van's'  name  will 
forget  for  a  while  the  troubles  and  cares  of  a  busy  life  and 
the  coldness  of  an  indifferent  world  and  receive  from  the 
remembrance  of  their  great  brother  Jesuit  fresh  inspiration 
and  renewed  courage  to  emulate  his  zeal  for  souls  and  his 
indefatigable  energy  in  working  for  the  greater  glory  of 
Cod." 

Another  of  these  missionaries  writes  in  January,  1011: 

300 


ROCKY   MOUNTAIN   MISSION 

"As  I  look  back  over  my  years  and  see  the  wonderful  provi- 
dence of  God  in  my  regard.  I  feel  forced  to  acknowledge 
that  I  owe  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  to  Father  Van  Rens- 
selaer  as  being  the  instrument  chosen  by  God's  designs.  He 
had  a  magnanimity  of  character  that  never  suspected  the 
dispositions  and  never  questioned  the  intentions  of  men,  but 
sought  out  only  their  best  qualities ;  he  had  a  personal  mag- 
netism that  came  not  from  mere  good  nature,  but  from  a 
certain  natural  grace  of  manner  joined  to  lofty  aspirations 
and  a  supernatural  tact  for  drawing  men  to  piety  and 
making  them  submit,  despite  all  difficulties,  to  the  sweet 
voke  of  Christ." 


301 


CHAPTER    XXII. 
NEW  YORK'S  "FINEST"  AND  OTHERS. 

EVERY  St.  Patrick's  Day  for  several  years  the  crowds 
that  lined  Fifth  Avenue  in  New  York  were  treated 
to  a  surprise,  and  the  surprise  came  regularly.  Mounted 
on  a  spirited  horse,  which  he  managed  superbly  no  matter 
how  it  capered,  sat  smiling  and  serene  a  black-coated, 
Roman-collared  chaplain,  who  was  clearly  a  popular  favor- 
ite. He  was,  as  every  one  saw,  not  a  Celt,  and  yet  there  he 
was  at  the  head  of  the  Second  Division  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  Hibernians.  It  was  "Father  Van,"  and  his  ap- 
pearance was  a  signal  for  applause  and  clapping  of  hands, 
waving  of  hats  and  flags  and  handkerchiefs.  What  right 
had  he  to  be  there  ?  Not  much  in  the  way  of  a  racial  claim, 
it  is  true,  though  there  were  Protestants  in  his  family,  and 
they  were  Irish,  and  that,  besides  his  own  personality,  was 
enough  to  give  him  a  passport  to  his  rather  anomalous 
position  as  chaplain  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians, 
and  to  be  one  of  the  notable  figures  in  the  St.  Patrick's  Day 
parade. 

Of  course  it  was  by  some  commented  upon,  criticized, 
and  condemned.  Was  it  not  mere  posturing  and  pretense, 
and  a  bid  for  notice  and  popularity?  His  friends  often  told 
him  that  such  things  were  being  said  of  him,  and  those  who 
were  not  friendly  let  him  know  of  it  sometimes  in  unkindly 
ways.  But  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  singularly  impervi- 
ous to  uncharitable  remarks,  or  even  to  harsh  disapproval  or 
denunciation,  when  the  censors  were  self-appointed,  if  he 

302 


NEW   YORK'S   "FINEST"   AND   OTHERS 

knew  he  was  right.  He  would  smile  at  them  gently,  per- 
haps his  lip  would  threaten  to  curl  a  bit,  but  usually  he 
would  not  reply. 

He  knew  that  his  Hibernians  not  only  believed  in  him, 
but  were  fond  of  him,  so  he  kept  right  on  his  course. 

We  find  an  expression  of  this  esteem  in  a  notice  taken 
from  a  local  Irish  paper  on  the  occasion  of  his  funeral,  and 
which,  therefore,  cannot  be  suspected  of  flattery.  It  is  per- 
fervid  at  times  as  becomes  the  Celt,  but  it  is  all  the  better 
for  that. 

"Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  a  remarkable  figure,  which 
once  seen  would  not  easily  be  forgotten.  Standing  over  six 
feet,  handsome  and  broad-shouldered,  he  was  distinguished 
looking  in  any  gathering.  He  was  descended  from  one  of 
the  oldest  of  the  Knickerbocker  families  of  the  Empire 
State,  yet  he  had  a  strain  of  Irish  blood  of  which  he  was 
justly  proud.  He  became  converted  to  the  Catholic  faith 
and  joined  the  Society  of  Jesus  many  years  ago,  and  dur- 
ing all  the  time  of  his  ministry  he  never  wearied  of  doing 
the  Master's  work — assisting  the  needy,  lifting  up  the 
fallen,  consoling  the  afflicted  and  admonishing  the  wrong- 
doers. Those  who  were  in  sorrow  or  distress  never 
sought  his  help  in  vain,  and  many  a  man  to-day  prosperous 
and  happy  owes  his  present  condition  to  the  kindly  sympa- 
thy and  assistance  received  from  this  truly  humble  follower 
of  Him  who  hath  commanded :  'Do  unto  others  as  you 
would  that  they  should  do  unto  you.' 

"For  many  years  he  was  an  active  member  of  the  An- 
cient Order  of  Hibernians,  and  always  took  a  deep  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  the  Order.  As  chaplain  of  Division  No. 
2  of  New  York,  he  was  unceasing  in  his  efforts  to  increase 
the  membership,  and  it  was  his  greatest  delight  to  say  that 

303 ' 


LIFE   OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

it  was  the  largest  and  most  prosperous  Division  in  New 
York  County.  Although  connected  with  many  organiza- 
tions, he  loved  the  Hibernians  best  of  all,  and  never  missed 
an  opportunity  of  praising  the  Irish  character.  While  he 
had  many  a  kind  word  or  excuse  for  any  little  failing  we 
might  possess,  he  was  always  happy  to  be  with  the  boys, 
and  on  last  St.  Patrick's  Day,  mounted  on  a  handsome  horse, 
he  rode  up  Fifth  avenue  at  the  head  of  Division  2,  the 
proudest  man  in  that  great  parade,  and  the  only  chaplain 
who  braved  the  fatigue  of  that  long  ride,  to  show  by  his 
example  that  we  should  not  be  ashamed  nor  afraid  to  turn 
out  on  the  17th  of  March  to  do  honor  to  the  memory  of 
Ireland's  Patron  Saint. 

"And  never  was  such  an  ovation  accorded  to  any  man 
as  came  from  the  hundreds  of  thousands  who  thronged  that 
mighty  thoroughfare  when  the  word  was  passed  along  the 
line,  'Here  comes  Father  Van.'  Then,  as  his  name  was 
shouted  from  lusty  throats,  the  scene  beggars  description, 
but  will  long  live  in  the  memory  of  those  who  were  present 
that  day.  The  true-hearted  sons  and  daughters  of  Erin 
were  proud  of  him,  and  he  was  with  his  own  people,  for 
he  was  more  Irish  than  the  Irish  themselves. 

"Little  did  we,  who  marched  with  him  on  that  occasion, 
imagine  that  before  the  year  had  run  its  course  he  would 
be  called  to  receive  the  reward  of  the  just  for  having 
'fought  the  good  fight'  and  having  kept  the  faith ;  he  is  now 
numbered  amongst  God's  chosen  ones.  With  him  has  passed 
away  one  of  the  grandest  characters  of  the  Catholic  priest- 
hood in  this  country.  He  was  the  embodiment  of  all  that 
was  noblest  and  best,  and  a  living  illustration  of  the  sub- 
lime maxim  of  our  grand  and  noble  order.  'Friendship, 
Unity  and  Christian  Charity,'  in  its  broadest  significance." 

304 


NEW   YORK'S  "FINEST"   AND   OTHERS 

Few  are  aware  of  the  veritable  army  of  men  required  to 
police  a  city  like  New  York.  Only  on  the  occasion  of  the 
annual  parade,  when  five  thousand  of  the  "finest,"  about 
half  the  police  force  of  the  city,  march  in  serried  ranks 
through  Broadway  or  Fifth  Avenue,  does  the  average  New 
Yorker  realize  the  legions  that  day  and  night  patrol  the  big 
metropolis.  Seventy-five  per  cent,  of  these  representatives 
of  the  law  are  Catholics.  Of  those  on  duty  in  the  Borough 
of  Manhattan  there  are  few  who  did  not  know  the  tall, 
handsome  priest  personally,  or  by  sight,  or  reputation. 

Shortly  after  his  assignment  to  St.  Francis  Xavier's, 
Father  Van  Rensselaer  saw  that  the  city  policemen  were 
sadly  in  need  of  a  priest  to  look  after  their  spiritual  inter- 
ests, for  only  after  his  death  came  the  appointment  of  a 
regular  chaplain  to  the  Police  Department. 

Father  Van  Rensselaer's  methods  of  looking  after  the 
city's  guardians  were  clever  adaptations  of  the  code  in  use 
among  the  men  themselves.  The  policemen  were  regularly 
"held  up"  on  their  beat  by  this  spiritual  roundsman.  The 
sight  of  the  uniform  seemed  to  fire  his  zeal  and  to  estab- 
lish his  right  to  interrogate  every  bluecoat.  What  his  ques- 
tions were  may  be  surmised.  If  he  was  a  Catholic  his 
spiritual  state  was  investigated,  and  his  needs  attended  to 
before  they  parted.  If  the  man  was  not  a  Catholic,  no 
offense  was  taken,  his  respect  for  religion  was  increased, 
perhaps,  and  there  are  instances  in  which  a  desire  to  know 
more  about  the  Catholic  Church  was  the  result.  One  of 
the  former  Police  Commissioners  to-day  is  proud  of  being 
a  convert  of  Father  Van  Rensselaer. 

At  some  of  the  station  houses,  particularly  in  the  lower 
city  or  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Francis  Xavier's — at 
that  time  a  rather  unsavory  district — he  was  a  frequent 

305 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

visitor.  He  went  there  as  he  went  to  engine  houses,  be- 
cause it  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  meet  many  of  the 
men  at  once.  Though  all  knew  the  purpose  of  his  visits, 
he  was  always  welcome.  The  lieutenant  at  the  desk,  or  the 
captain  if  present,  would  be  the  first  to  greet  him,  for  cap- 
tain and  lieutenant,  besides  the  respect  they  had  for  the 
priest  personally,  found  the  men  more  tractable  and  more 
conscientious  under  "Father  Van's"  tutelage  than  they  had 
ever  been  before.  Church  and  State,  in  this  department, 
worked  very  harmoniously  and  beneficially  indeed. 

After  a  few  minutes  of  general  conversation  he  would 
take  the  men  aside  singly  and  broach  the  subject  dearest  to 
his  heart.  There  was  a  graciousness  and  off-handedness 
about  the  maneuver  that  relieved  the  man  of  any  embarrass- 
ment. He  would  take  his  medicine,  if  not  always  with  a 
smile,  at  least  like  a  man,  and  when  he  went  out  to  his  post 
his  heart  was  lighter  and  his  sense  of  responsibility  greater 
because  he  had  had  that  talk  with  "Father  Van." 

An  outsider  would  hardly  credit  the  genuine  affection 
that  existed  for  the  self-appointed  chaplain.  Long  after 
most  citizens  had  retired  for  the  night,  this  good  priest 
would  meet  the  policemen  on  their  rounds,  usually  with  a 
friendly  pat  on  the  shoulder,  and  they  would  patrol  the  beat 
together.  Some  of  the  men  would  ask  for  an  assignment 
to  the  district  where  they  felt  sure  that  at  some  hour  during 
the  night  they  would  meet  their  devoted  friend.  It  was 
thus  Father  Van  Rensselaer  often  spent  the  hours  which  he 
might  have  given  to  a  much  needed  rest  after  the  fatigues 
of  the  day.  Whenever  there  was  a  lecture  or  play  or  enter- 
tainment in  the  College  Theatre,  it  was  customary  for  the 
captain  of  the  precinct  to  detail  for  police  duty  some  of  the 
reserves,  two  or  three,  or  half  a  dozen,  as  the  occasion  re- 

306 


NEW   YORK'S   "FINEST"   AND   OTHERS 

quired.  Regularly  Father  Van  Rensselaer  would  telephone 
to  the  captain  to  appoint  men  who  needed  to  be  "rounded 
up."  When  the  unsuspecting'  officers  arrived  the  priest  was 
at  his  post  to  receive  them.  After  the  gathering  had  dis- 
persed the  men  were  treated  to  some  modest  refreshments, 
and  when  they  returned  to  report  they  were  usually  better 
men  than  they  had  been  perhaps  for  many  a  day. 

A  few  months  after  his  death  an  aged  woman  was  run 
down  by  some  vehicle  and  taken  in  a  dying  condition  to  St. 
Vincent's  Hospital.  Her  son,  a  policeman,  was  hastily  sum- 
moned to  her  side.  As  he  entered  some  friends  were  kneel- 
ing saying  the  Litanies.  The  policeman  knelt  with  them, 
and  folding  his  hands  in  prayer  said  aloud:  "Father  Van 
Rensselaer  in  heaven,  pray  for  my  poor  mother,"  all  the 
others  devoutly  joining  in  the  petition.  Many  a  policeman 
in  Brooklyn  or  the  Bronx  who  only  knew  Father  Van  Rens- 
selaer by  repute  would  when  ill  express  the  wish  to  see  the 
policeman's  friend.  No  matter  at  what  inconvenience  to 
himself,  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  ever  prompt  to  answer 
the  call.  If  a  patrolman  fell  into  a  scrape — and  how  easy  it 
is  for  them  to  get  into  one — the  surest  friend  he  had  and 
the  first  he  thought  of  was  "Father  Van."  He  never  failed 
them.  His  letters  of  appeal  for  policemen  were  so  frequent 
that  a  distinguished  Police  Commissioner,  who  afterwards 
rose  to  the  highest  office  in  the  land,  used  to  say  to  his  col- 
leagues :  "If  Father  Blank  of  the  Paulists  sends  a  letter  in 
behalf  of  any  of  the  men,  show  it  every  consideration,  but 
don't  take  any  stock  in  Father  Van  Rensselaer's."  Experi- 
ence had  taught  him  that  whether  the  case  was  good,  bad 
or  indifferent,  the  accused  would  always  find  in  him  a  ready 
champion.  Before  Father  Van  Rensselaer's  death  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  regular  chaplain  for  the  police  was  mooted. 

307 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

It  was  well  known  that  in  a  minor  way  and  within  a  certain 
area  Father  Van  Rensselaer  was  already  exercising  the 
functions.  Had  he  lived  a  little  longer  he  would  have  un- 
questionably received  the  honor  of  a  formal  appointment 
as  Chaplain  of  the  Police  Department  of  New  York. 

In  the  pursuit  of  souls,  though  he  was  already  connected 
with  other  associations,  Father  Van  Rensselaer  accepted  the 
office  of  Chaplain  to  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  We  have 
no  means  of  knowing  much  of  his  relations  with  them, 
though  we  find  in  his  papers  sketches  of  some  of  the  dis- 
courses he  delivered  at  their  meetings  in  his  capacity  of 
spiritual  guide.  There  is,  for  instance,  a  very  elaborate 
study  of  the  great  Centre  Party  of  Germany,  that  lifted 
Catholicity  in. the  Empire  out  of  the  "slough  of  despond," 
and  made  it  a  pillar  of  strength  for  law  and  order.  There 
is  one  on  King  David  and  another  on  the  Crusaders,  and 
another  which  is  an  affectionate  and  minute  study  of  the 
great  Catholic  leader,  Windthorst,  and  so  on.  Such  models 
held  up  to  the  Knights  must  have  been  potent  influences  in 
helping  them  to  realize  their  ideals. 

In  the  Resolution  of  the  New  York  Chapter  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  on  the  occasion  of  his  death  they 
speak  of  him  as  "this  noble  man,  this  good,  sincere  friend, 
this  enthusiastic  worker,  this  pious  and  loving  priest  whose 
memory  we  revere."  They  express  their  "sincere  sorrow 
for  the  death  of  this  worthy  priest  whose  sole  aim  in  life 
was  to  carry  on  the  work  of  Our  Lord  and  Saviour.  His 
life  was  an  exemplification  of  true  Christian  manhood,  and 
the  highest  type  of  membership  in  our  honored  Order." 


308 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 
WITH  THE  FIRE-LADDIES. 

IN  the  popular  mind  Father  Van  Rensselaer  is  especially 
associated  with  the  firemen  of  New  York.  He  was 
never  chaplain,  though  he  would  have  been  delighted  to 
receive  that  distinction,  but  he  performed  as  a  free  lance 
the  work  of  many  regular  officials.  He  pursued  the  "smoke- 
eaters"  continually;  in  the  street,  in  their  homes,  and  in  the 
engine  houses.  The  work  was  an  extensive  one,  for  there 
are  many  Catholics  in  the  Department;  but  the  Protestants 
appear  to  have  always  accorded  him  a  ready  welcome.  It 
was  all  done  in  such  a  light-hearted  manner  that  the 
straightening-out  of  consciences  lost  its  terrors.  The  "boys" 
all  liked  him  and  were  not  averse  to  playing  many  a  prank 
at  his  expense,  knowing  perfectly  well  he  would  not  take  it 
amiss.  Thus  on  one  occasion,  we  are  told,  when  Father 
Van  Rensselaer  was  climbing  the  stairs  to  catch  the  men  in 
their  beds,  the  officer  below  touched  the  electric  button  and 
the  whole  company  slid  down  the  pole  to  the  ground  floor, 
so  that  when  his  reverence  reached  the  top  floor  he  found 
himself  solitary  and  alone.  He  enjoyed  the  joke  as  much 
as  the  perpetrators  did.  He  had  to  continue  the  hunt,  of 
course,  and  he  descended,  but  not  by  the  pole. 

The  object  of  his  visit  was  so  well  known  to  the  men 
that  the  one  in  charge  would  immediately  vacate  the  little 
office  where  the  books  are  kept  and  turn  the  room  over  to 
the  priest  to  be  used  as  a  confessional.  One  man  who  sadly 
needed  his  spiritual  ministrations  for  months  eluded  him. 

309 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

Having  ascertained  the  hours  when  this  man  could  be  found 
on  duty,  he  went  one  day  to  the  house  and  asked  for  him. 
The  man  was  upstairs  and  "Father  Van"  started  up  to  find 
him.  When  he  saw  the  head  appearing  at  the  top  of  the 
stairs,  the  fireman  promptly  slid  down  the  brass  pole,  as  the 
only  means  of  escape.  Father  Van  Rensselaer,  standing  on 
the  narrow  stairway,  said,  with  a  smile:  "You  slid  down, 
but  you  cannot  slide  up."  The  man,  caught  fairly,  suc- 
cumbed and  became  a  devoted  penitent  of  the  fisher  of  men, 
and  often  told  the  story  with  a  laugh. 

Every  priest  engaged  in  the  ministry  has  his  consolations 
in  the  visible  workings  of  divine  grace  as  well  as  in  the 
striking  examples  that  follow  what  may  be  termed  the 
neglect  of  Divine  calls  and  warnings.  Among  the  firemen 
whom  Father  Van  Rensselaer  attended  was  one  who  had 
been  careless  for  many  years.  The  zealous  chaplain  tried 
repeatedly  to  reach  him,  but  never  could  find  him  in.  At 
last  he  went  one  day  to  the  engine-house,  waited  until  he 
captured  his  man  and  persuaded  him  to  make  his  confession. 
That  night  there  was  a  big  fire,  the  fire  laddie  went  out 
with  his  company,  and  was  brought  home  dead. 

Another  fireman  resisted  all  the  advances  and  entreaties 
of  the  priest  and  at  length,  to  escape  further  importunity, 
put  him  off  with  the  promise  that  he  would  go  to  confession 
when  he  became  foreman  of  his  company.  The  coveted 
honor  came  after  a  year  or  two,  but  on  the  very  day  of  his 
appointment  he  met  the  fate  which  his  priestly  monitor  had 
so  often  pictured  to  him;  he,  too,  was  instantly  killed  in 
answering  a  fire-call,  but  his  promise  to  make  his  confession 
had  not  been  fulfilled. 

A  story  told  by  the  members  of  Company  No.  —  is  the 
following :  One  day  Father  Van  Rensselaer  met  a  fireman 

310 


WITH   THE  FIRE-LADDIES 

on  his  way  to  the  fire-house  and  learned  that  the  laddie  had 
not  gone  to  church  or  confession  for  a  long  time.  So  he 
proposed  to  hear  his  confession  as  he  accompanied  him  to 
his  quarters.  The  fireman  assented  and  told  his  story  as 
they  walked  on.  A  few  minutes  later  the  hook  and  ladder 
truck  with  its  double  line  of  firemen  swung  down  Sixth 
Avenue  in  answer  to  an  alarm.  There  was  a  collision  with 
a  pillar  of  the  elevated  road ;  all  of  the  firemen  escaped  with 
slight  injuries  except  one  man,  who  was  killed  outright.  It 
was  the  fireman  whom  Father  Van  Rensselaer  had  shriven 
on  his  way  to  the  fire-house. 

Instances  like  these  were  of  great  service  in  bringing 
home  to  the  men  the  necessity  of  being  always  ready.  The 
fireman,  he  used  to  say  to  them,  was  ever  on  the  alert  to 
answer  the  alarm  bell  in  order  to  save  the  property  and  life 
of  his  neighbor;  why  should  he  be  less  prepared  to  answer 
the  summons  of  his  Maker  and  to  save  his  own  immortal 
soul? 

If  he  heard  of  a  hard  case,  he  followed  it  up  until  he 
settled  it.  Once  he  pursued  a  sinner  who,  trying  to  escape 
from  him,  climbed  up  on  a  heap  of  coal.  Father  Van  Rens- 
selaer went  after  him  and  "straightened  him  out,"  figura- 
tively, then  and  there.  Chief  of  Battalion  X.  evaded  him 
for  months,  but  finally  ran  into  him  by  accident  near  the 
College  door.  Of  course  Father  Van  Rensselaer  hailed  him 
at  once  and  put  him  through  the  usual  process.  But  the 
chief  afterwards  said  that  he  was  the  happiest  man  on 
earth.  He  had  dreaded  the  ordeal  and  was  so  relieved  to 
have  it  over. 

One  precious  souvenir  left  among  his  papers  is  a  little 
note-book  in  which  he  kept  a  list  of  the  fire  engine  and 
hook  and  ladder  companies  of  Manhattan  visited  by  him 

311 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

once  a  month.  Tt  was  manifestly  impossible  for  the  men  to 
come  to  him,  so  he  went  to  them.  The  book  itself  tells  an 
interesting  story  and  the  temptation  to  give  at  least  the 
numbers  of  the  companies  is  irresistible. 

FIRE  ENGINE  COMPANIES,  MANHATTAN. 

No.    1— West  29th  Street.  No.  23— West  58th  Street. 

2 — West  43rd  Street.  24 — Morton  Street. 

3— West  17th  Street.  25— Fifth  Street. 

5— East  14th  Street.  26— West  37th  Street. 

8— East  51st  Street.  34 — West  33rd  Street. 

14 — East  18th  Street.  39— East  67th  Street. 

18— West  10th  Street.  44— East  75th  Street. 

19— West  25th  Street.  47— West  113th  Street, 

21 — West  25th  Street.  Amsterdam  Ave. 
No.  54 — West  47th  Street. 

HOOK  AND  LADDER  COMPANIES,  MANHATTAN. 

No.    2— East  50th  Street.        No.  11— Fifth  Street. 

3— East  13th  Street.  12— West  20th  Street. 

4 — 48th  St.  &  8th  Ave.  16— East  167th  Street. 

5 — Charles  Street.  18— Attorney  Street. 

8 — N.  Moore  Street.  20 — Mercer  Street. 

No.  21— West  36th  Street. 

This  list  covers  about  one-third  the  number  of  fire  com- 
panies in  the  Borough  of  Manhattan  and  zig-zags  from 
east  to  west  and  north  to  south  in  a  way  that  must  have 
often  exercised  the  priest's  ingenuity  to  reach  the  fire- 
houses  with  as  little  loss  of  time  as  possible.  Then  follow- 
ing the  number  of  the  company  and  its  address  are  the  full 

312 


WITH   THE  FIRE-LADDIES 

names  of  all  the  members,  beginning  always  with  the  cap- 
tain or  foreman  and  lieutenant  or  assistant.  Ninety-five 
per  cent,  are  apparently  Catholic,  for  the  letter  P.  after  a 
fireman's  name  is  of  rare  occurrence.  The  R.  I.  P.  after  a 
man's  name  is  frequent.  Would  that  we  could  give  the  full 
story  that  lies  hidden  under  the  simple  initials.  Was  the 
man  killed  at  a  fire  or  did  he  die  peacefully,  attended  by  his 
priestly  mentor?  Father  Van  Rensselaer  knew,  and  the 
little  R.  I.  P.  shows  that  his  love  for  the  men  followed  them 
to  the  grave  and  beyond.  Two  men  in  one  company  are 
marked  "not  confirmed,"  and  then  their  home  address  is 
bracketed.  So  he  was  not  content  with  a  mere  visit  to  the 
engine  house.  When  they  needed  further  instruction  he 
was  careful  to  give  it,  and  he  saw  that  they  received  all  the 
sacramental  helps  which  the  Church  had  the  power  to  be- 
stow. If  these  companies  on  his  list  represent  the  firemen 
he  visited  regularly,  there  were  many  others  which  were 
visited  off  and  on.  Whenever  his  ministry  summoned  him 
to  a  distant  point  he  never  passed  an  engine  house  or  a 
police  station  without  paying  his  respects.  Indeed,  it  is  well 
known  that  there  were  fire  companies  in  Jersey  City  and 
Newark  that  he  looked  after  as  regularly  as  he  did  those 
in  New  York. 

His  foible  for  the  Fire  Department  pursued  him  when 
away  from  New  York,  and  we  find  him  in  Boston  making 
his  way  around  to  the  engine  houses  to  see  "the  boys."  He 
evidently  caught  them,  for  we  find  affectionate  letters  from 
them  among  his  papers.  They  even  went  to  the  Fire  Com- 
missioner and  asked  for  some  testimonial  to  show  what  they 
thought  of  him.  The  commissioner  gave  him  a  badge, 
which,  one  of  the  firemen  said,  "The  commissioner  would 
not  have  given  to  his  own  son." 

313 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

We  append  an  account  of  this  incident  taken  from  one  of 
the  Boston  papers : — 

"The  Rev.  Henry  Van  Rensselaer,  S.J.,  of  New  York, 
made  a  brief  visit  to  Boston  recently.  During  his  stay, 
Father  Van  Rensselaer,  who  is  the  Chaplain  of  the  Fire 
Department  of  New  York,  visited  a  large  number  of  fire- 
men and  heard  their  confessions.  Some  of  the  men  had  not 
been  to  confession  previously  for  years,  their  neglect  being 
partially  due  to  their  long  hours  of  service. 

"Father  Van  Rensselaer  won  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts 
of  the  firemen  of  Boston  because  of  his  kind  labors  for  their 
spiritual  good.  Wishing  to  give  him  a  testimonial  of  their 
regard,  they  chose  one  of  their  number  to  wait  on  Fire 
Commissioner  Russell  to  get  his  permission  to  present  the 
reverend  gentleman  with  a  fireman's  badge,  as  it  was  inti- 
mated that  such  a  gift  would  please  him  better  than  money 
or  anything  else.  Mr.  Russell  did  a  very  courteous  and 
kindly  act  in  answer  to  the  request,  not  only  readily  giving 
his  consent  that  Father  Van  Rensselaer  should  be  thus  hon- 
ored, but  he  would  also  have  presented  him  a  solid  gold 
badge,  at  his  own  expense,  had  not  the  rules  of  the  Jesuits 
forbidden  its  acceptance.  The  good  priest  was  given  a  reg- 
ulation fireman's  badge,  with  his  name  and  the  date  of  its 
presentation  inscribed  on  its  back.  Father  Van  Rensselaer 
is  the  only  man  outside  the  members  of  the  Department  to 
be  honored  with  the  regulation  badge." 

The  following  is  the  letter  of  the  Fire  Commissioner, 
which  seems  to  be  an  answer  to  one  of  Father  Van  Rens- 
selaer, acknowledging  the  receipt  of  the  badge : 

3U 


WITH  THE  FIRE-LADDIES 

"FiRE  COMMISSIONER. 
"BRISTOL  STREET,  BOSTON. 
"Mv  DEAR  SIR: 

"I  am  very  glad  to  get  your  thoughtful  note.  It  is  need- 
less to  say  that  my  remembrance  of  my  uncle,  Father 
Coolidge  Shaw,  draws  me  tenderly  towards  those  of  his 
Order.  Certainly  Father  Finnegan  is  a  trump. 

"That  simple  badge,  not  of  silver,  is  a  slight  recognition 
of  the  feeling  you  have  inspired  among  the  men  who  know 
you.  "Very  truly  yours, 

(Signed)     "H.  S.  RUSSELL. 
"May  14,  1898." 

Father  Van  Rensselaer's  interest  in  the  Boston  firemen 
lasted  as  long  as  he  lived.  One  of  the  letters  he  received  at 
Auriesville  a  few  weeks  before  his  death  was  from  one  of 
the  men  he  had  met  there  nearly  ten  years  before.  A  few 
letters  from  one  of  these  men  fortunately  escaped  the  whole- 
sale destruction  of  his  correspondence  and  serve  admirably 
to  complete  the  record  of  his  doings  in  Boston. 

"BOSTON,  April  5th,  1898. 
"Mv  REVEREND  FRIEND: 

"Well,  I  have  actually  been  born  over  again ;  it  is  as  you 
say,  so  very  easy  when  you  once  break  the  ice.  I  went  to 
Communion  on  Sunday,  and  Joe  Webber  said  that  when  I 
was  walking  towards  the  altar  the  organ  began  to  play 
'When  Johnnie  Comes  Marching  Home,'  and  if  it  didn't,  it 
ought  to;  every  one  seems  to  know  about  my  going  to 
church  on  Sunday.  It  has  spread  through  the  Department, 
and  if  you  were  here  for  a  month  you  could  bring  them  all 
to  their  milk,  for  no  one  can  do  it  like  'Father  Van,'  as  the 
boys  call  you  here. 

815 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

"I  wish  you  would  write  to  Me .    I  enclose  an  envel- 

oi>e  with  his  address.  Just  lay  it  to  him  strong  and  make 
him  go  to  confession.  So  now,  my  dear  friend,  I  know  you 
must  be  busy,  and  I  will  close  by  asking  our  good  God  to 
ever  watch  over  and  guard  you  and  give  you  strength  to 
convert  more  like 

"Your  friend  forever, 


"BOSTON,  May  5th,  1898. 
"REVEREND  SIR: 

"I  have  just  got  back  from  my  vacation  and  I  thought  I 
would  drop  you  a  line.  I  suppose  by  this  time  you  have 
the  Department  badge  which  Father  Finnegan  sent  you 
from  the  boys  in  the  Department  and  the  commissioner. 
And  by  the  way,  the  commissioner  wanted  it  made  of  gold, 
but  I  told  him  that  Father  Finnegan  instructed  me  to  have 
it  made  of  metal  just  like  our  own  badges.  I  did  not  think 
that  the  commissioner  would  give  the  seal  of  Boston,  for  I 
knew  a  great  many  influential  and  leading  men  in  Boston 
have  tried  to  get  one  and  were  unable  to  do  so.  When  he 
consented  to  give  us  anything  we  wanted  for  you,  you  may 
be  sure  that  I  felt  good  about  it,  and  when  the  boys  in  the 
Department  got  hold  of  it,  regardless  of  their  religious  be- 
lief, they  were  all  glad.  Father  Finnegan  said  he  was 
going  to  see  the  commissioner  and  thank  him,  but  I  think  a 
line  from  you  would  just  make  him  feel  good. 
"Respectfully  yours, 


'Engine  No.  — 


"All  the  fellows  send  their  best  respects  to  you." 

316 


WITH   THE  FIRE-LADDIES 

"BOSTON,  May  27th,  1898. 
"My  DEAR  FRIEND: 

"Pardon  me  for  not  writing-  l>efore,  but  you  know, 
Father,  that  laziness  will  overcome  the  lazy  sometimes,  and 
I  have  no  other  excuse  to  offer.  I  can't  lie  to  you,  for  you 
would  know  it  the  moment  you  read  it.  Father,  my  scapu- 
lars broke  and  fell  off;  I  have  them  in  a  drawer  in  my  desk 
now.  I  have  not  had  them  on  for  two  days,  and  I  confess 
to  you  that  I  feel  queer,  something-  I  never  thought  of  be- 
fore. I  think  you  must  have  forgotten  me  in  your  prayers, 
for  temptation  has  come  my  way  strongly.  I  tried  to  hold 
out,  but  succumbed  only  once,  and  that  was  since  the  scapu- 
lars have  been  off. 

"Jim buried  his  mother  this  morning;  he  has  been 

away  for  three  days. 

"Everyone  else  seems  to  be  enjoying  life.  'Goggie  Mac' 
has  not  been  to  Communion  yet,  and  I  wish  you  would 
write  to  him. 

"Now,  Father,  don't  forget  me  again.  I  feel  to-night  as 
if  I  had  lost  everything-  I  gained  from  you,  and  when  I 
started  to  write  to  you  I  had  the  same  old  voice  tell  me: 
'What  does  he  care  for  you;  why,  he  will  only  read  that 
and  laugh  and  say,  what  is  the  matter  with  him.'  But  I 
write  anyhow. 

"I  drew  a  very  good  time  for  my  vacation  this  year.  I 
have  from  July  r>th  to  li)th.  I  have  not  as  yet  selected  a 
place  to  go. 

"Where  would  you  gr>?  You  name  me  a  place  and  I  will 
po  if  it  is  within  my  means.  You  have  done  so  much  for 
me,  I  will  do  whatever  you  say  on  my  vacation.  Do  yon 
know  that  T  have  never  met  a  priest  that  had  so  much  con- 
trol over  one  as  you  have?  It  seems  as  if  I  were  writing 

317 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

to  God  when  I  write  to  you.    Well,  Father,  don't  forget  my 
scapulars,  and  above  all,  don't  forget  me  again,  and  trust- 
ing He  will  guard  and  guide  you  ever,  I  say, 
"Au  plasir  de  vous  revoir, 


(From  the  same.) 

"BOSTON,  July  4th,  1898. 
"FATHER  VAN — MY  DEAR  FRIEND: 

"Forgive  me  for  not  answering  your  letter  and  acknowl- 
edging receipt  of  package.  I  am  very  thankful  to  you  for 
your  kindness.  The  beads  I  have  told  every  night  since  re- 
ceiving. One  pair  of  scapulars  I  gave  to  Jim  Caine,  the 
rest  I  still  have. 

"About  vacation,  I  wish  you  had  mentioned  Auriesville, 
N.  Y.,  to  me  in  your  first  letter  and  I  would  have  gone 
there  for  two  weeks;  as  it  now,  I  have  given  my  word  to 
go  to  Onset,  Mass.,  on  Cape  Cod,  with  four  other  fellows, 
and  we  have  the  cottage  engaged  and  all  arrangements 
made.  It  will  be  my  first  vacation  to  stop  two  weeks  steady 
in  one  place.  I  have  always  gone  to  different  cities  raising 
the  devil  generally.  My  companions'  names  are  Waggett 
of  Engine  26,  Little  of  Ladder  17,  and  an  outsider  named 
Hurley.  If  I  can  break  from  them  the  last  two  or  three 
days  I  will  go  to  N.  Y.  just  to  go  to  confession  to  you.  I 
am  glad  you  went  to  Paterson.  I  am  \vell  acquainted  with 
lots  of  the  boys  there,  and  you  could  do  quite  a  business 
among  them. 

"We  had  a  little  squib  of  a  fire  off  Chauncy  Street  Fri- 
day night  and  some  of  the  boys  of  this  company  got  scalded 
pretty  badly  by  the  hot  water  coming  back  on  them.  We 
had  both  engines  out  to  it.  Saturday  night  we  had  another 
one,  and  some  of  the  boys  on  ill-fated  engines  38  and  39  got 

318 


WITH   THE  FIRE-LADDIES 

hurt.  Jim  Mungoren  is  off  duty  on  the  sick  list.  I  wouldn't 
be  surprised  if  he  has  consumption;  he  has  gone  up  country 
to  recuperate.  All  the  rest  of  the  gang  are  in  good  condi- 
tion. As  for  myself,  everything  goes  easy  since  you  became 
my  friend;  it  feels  just  as  if  I  was  rich  and  didn't  have  to 
bother  about  anything.  This,  as  you  know,  is  our  busy  day 
and  the  alarms  are  coming  in  thick  and  fast,  but  none  have 
as  yet  amounted  to  anything  serious. 

"It  has  been  very  warm  here  for  the  past  three  or  four 
days.  What  do  you  think  of  our  boys  at  the  front,  ain't 
they  all  right?  At  least  sixty-five  per  cent,  of  them  are 
Catholics.  That  gives  the  lie  to  some  of  these  prating  hyp- 
ocrites about  our  religion.  I  hope  you  will  strike  some- 
where near  Boston,  if  not  in  it,  soon.  The  paper  here  had 
quite  an  account  of  your  badge  the  other  day.  I  am  glad 
he  gave  you  one;  it  is  quite  an  honor  from  him,  he  would 
not  give  his  son  one. 

"Well,  I  have  given  you  enough  prate  for  this  time,  and 
I  assure  you  I  will  write  as  soon  as  I  get  back,  if  I  do  not 
see  you. 

"I  am  wearing  a  smooth  face  now.    I  have  shaved  off  my 
mustache  and  it  feels  cooler.    Wishing  you  all  the  luck  in 
the  world  and  assuring  you  I  never  forget  you, 
"I  will  always  remain, 


One  of  the  favorites  of  the  New  York  Department  was 
Chief  Gicquel,  a  man  conspicuous  for  the  many  acts  of  hero- 
ism performed  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty.  Gicquel  died 
and  was  buried  from  St.  Francis  Xavier's.  Father  Van 
Rensselaer  sang  the  Mass  and  preached  at  the  funeral.  We 
have  a  sketch  of  what  he  said  on  that  occasion,  and  it  ap- 

310 


LIFE  OF  HENRY  VAN   RENSSELAER 

pears  that  the  chief  had  made  a  bargain  with  him.  "If  ever 
you  hear  that  I  am  sick  or  injured,  come  to  me  wherever 
you  are."  The  compact  was  kept,  happily  not  amid  the 
ruins  of  a  fire,  but  in  the  peaceful  surroundings  of  the 
chief's  home. 

The  men  as  well  as  the  officers  were  faithful  to  him,  and 
whenever  he  was  ill,  which  was  of  frequent  occurrence  to- 
wards the  end  of  his  life,  it  was  a  common  and  almost 
expected  thing  to  see  the  fire-laddies  making  their  way  to 
his  room  for  confession.  At  the  funeral  two  of  the  men  in 
uniform  were  the  last  to  leave  his  grave. 


320 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 
LAST  ILLNESS  AND  DEATH. 

TWENTY  years  had  passed  since  Father  Van  Rensselaer 
was  ordained  a  priest,  the  greater  part  of  which 
time  had  been  spent  in  the  ministry  in  New  York  City.  He 
could  not  help  seeing  that  God  had  blessed  the  work  of  his 
hands.  Though  only  in  his  fifty-seventh  year,  he  had  no 
thought,  as  far  as  one  can  surmise,  that  the  end  was  ap- 
proaching; even  those  who  were  associated  with  him  in 
parish  work  observed  no  indication  of  waning  strength, 
but  judged  him  to  be  possessed  of  his  old-time  vigor.  The 
end  came  sooner  than  was  expected. 

Sunday,  June  2,  1907,  was  the  last  day  of  active  work  in 
the  ministry.  On  that  day  appeared  the  first  pronounced 
symptoms  of  the  malady  which  a  few  months  later  was  to 
carry  him  off.  Fortunately,  we  have  a  complete  record  of 
his  works  of  charity  and  zeal  for  that  day,  the  only  one  on 
which  we  can  follow  him  closely  out  of  the  many  years 
during  which  he  labored  so  strenuously  as  a  priest  among 
his  people.  Though  the  record  covers  only  a  little  more 
than  four  hours,  it  throws  light  on  all  the  days  and  years  of 
his  busy  life.  It  was  the  Sunday  within  the  octave  of  Corpus 
Christi.  The  priest  appointed  to  officiate  at  the  high 
Mass  and  carry  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in  procession  being 
indisposed,  Father  Van  Rensselaer,  who  loved  ceremonies 
and  was  ever  ready  to  fill  a  gap  or  relieve  his  brother  priests, 
offered  to  take  his  place,  though  that  morning  he  himself 
was  far  from  well.  The  ceremonies  were  long  and  fatiguing. 

321 


LIFE  OF  HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

It  was  after  one  o'clock  before  lie  broke  his  fast,  and  then  he 
retired  to  his  room  to  prepare  for  a  meeting  that  afternoon 
of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  Meantime  a  call  was  received 
to  anoint  a  sick  woman,  and,  as  it  was  raining  heavily, 
Father  Van  Rensselaer  volunteered  to  attend  to  it  in  place 
of  the  priest  who  was  on  duty,  saying  that  he  had  to  go  out 
anyhow.  It  did  not  take  him  long  to  find  out  that  the  hus- 
band of  the  sick  woman  had  not  been  to  his  duty  for  years ; 
so  after  preparing  her  for  death  he  ministered  to  the  spirit- 
ual needs  of  the  husband.  After  this  there  was  a  short  visit 
to  Sister  Dolores,  who  was  ill,  and  then  he  started  out  for 
the  meeting  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 

He  got  as  far  as  Union  Square  and  was  in  the  act  of 
boarding  a  car  when  he  fell  in  a  faint  to  the  pavement.  He 
was  hurried  to  the  New  York  Hospital,  where  he  presently 
revived,  but  for  the  next  ten  days  was  given  absolute  rest 
and  allowed  to  see  only  the  doctors  and  hospital  attendants. 
In  falling  he  received  a  severe  scalp  wound  which  also 
needed  attention.  Meanwhile  the  news  of  the  mishap  had 
gone  the  rounds  of  the  newspapers  and  was  received  every- 
where with  expressions  of  deep  regret.  During  his  stay  in 
the  hospital  no  hour  of  the  day  was  without  its  stream  of 
sympathetic  visitors  representing  rich  and  poor,  Protestants 
and  Catholics  alike,  who  made  anxious  inquiries  about  the 
patient  and  gave  expression  to  their  deep  personal  regret 
that  anything  untoward  should  have  happened  to  good 
"Father  Van."  His  ailment  was  diagnosed  as  vertigo.  In 
reality  it  was  much  more  serious.  For  years  he  had  suf- 
fered periodic  attacks  of  gout  and  rheumatism,  which  for 
months  at  a  time  had  kept  him  confined  to  his  room  or  in 
the  hospital.  After  his  seeming  recovery,  he  made  light  of 
the  mishap  and  would  have  resumed  his  usual  duties  in  the 

322 


LAST   ILLNESS   AND  DEATH 

parish,  but  the  physicians  prescribed  an  extended  rest,  and 
by  their  advice  he  repaired  for  a  time  to  South  Norwalk, 
Conn.,  where  there  is  a  country  house  for  the  Jesuit  Scho- 
lastics of  the  Maryland-New  York  Province.  In  the  early 
part  of  July  another  change  was  made  to  the  Shrine  of  Our 
Lady  of  Martyrs,  Auriesville,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained 
until  the  second  week  in  September. 

Though  relieved  during  the  latter  period  from  regular 
duties,  his  life  was  not  altogether  inactive.  Even  this  iso- 
lated spot  in  the  country  was  to  yield  abundant  opportuni- 
ties for  doing  good.  Within  a  few  weeks  his  spiritual 
influence  spread  out  among  the  farm  hands,  the  scattered 
groups  of  workmen  on  the  new  canal  along  the  Mohawk, 
and  the  men  of  the  neighboring  villages.  As  a  result,  several 
old-time  sinners  were  reclaimed  and  in  one  instance  an  alli- 
ance that  for  years  had  caused  great  scandal  was  broken  up. 

Among  the  day  laborers  on  the  canal  he  discovered  a 
young  Frenchman,  a  graduate  of  a  Jesuit  college  abroad, 
who,  in  spite  of  his  education  and  evident  refinement,  could 
get  no  employ  men  t  befitting  his  station  in  life,  but  was 
compelled  to  earn  a  living  by  digging  in  the  trenches  side 
by  side  with  the  most  uncongenial  associates.  To  him 
Father  Van  Rensselaer's  coming  was  a  godsend.  In  the 
evening  they  would  sit  on  the  porch  of  the  little  bungalow 
that  served  the  Fathers  of  the  Shrine  as  a  shelter  during 
the  summer  months,  and  the  happy  youth  would  forget,  for 
the  time  being,  the  toil  and  heat  of  the  day  in  the  sympathy 
and  companionship  of  his  priestly  friend.  Father  Van 
Rensselaer  made  strenuous  efforts  to  have  him  appointed  to 
some  lighter  grade  of  work,  such  as  that  of  timekeeper  or 
accountant,  and  though  unsuccessful,  his  interest  was  as 
sincere  as  it  was  commendable. 

888 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

During  his  life  Father  Van  Rensselaer  had  carried  on  a 
large  correspondence  with  all  classes  of  persons,  exercising 
thereby  an  apostolate  which  was  the  more  to  his  liking  as 
it  never  came  to  the  surface  and  was  seen  by  God  alone. 
The  number  of  these  letters  that  are  still  extant  must  run 
into  the  thousands;  but  notwithstanding  a  public  appeal, 
only  a  few  brief  notes  from  his  pen  were  communicated  to 
aid  in  the  preparation  of  his  biography.  The  fact  speaks 
volumes  for  the  value  set  upon  them  by  their  fortunate 
possessors.  On  the  other  hand,  the  letters  of  which  he  was 
the  recipient,  being  largely  confidential,  were  scrupulously 
destroyed.  Only  a  few,  comparatively,  which  were  received 
at  Auriesville,  escaped  the  fate  which  befell  all  the  others. 

A  summary  of  these  few  will  enable  us  to  judge  of  the 
general  character  of  his  correspondence,  and  of  the  oppor- 
tunities it  afforded  him,  and  which  he  accepted,  of  working 
in  many  directions  and  of  extending  his  power  for  good 
beyond  parochial  or  even  city  limits.  Among  these  letters 
is  one  from  a  penitent  of  his  who  had  gone  to  California. 
The  man  gives  a  good  account  of  himself,  for  "he  had  made 
the  mission  and  is  working  steadily,"  but  would  like  a  letter 
of  reference.  He  concludes  by  thanking  God  that  "his  hand 
is  fine,"  alluding  evidently  to  some  accident  which  he  had 
met  with  while  in  New  York,  and  owing  to  which  he  had 
fallen  in  with  "Father  Van." 

There  is  a  letter  from  the  Department  of  Parks,  New 
York,  granting  permission  "for  the  members  of  the  Xavier 
Club  to  make  a  satisfactory  use  of  their  permit."  In  another 
a  mother  writing  from  New  Jersey  seeks  his  advice  about 
sending  her  daughter  to  a  convent  school.  A  Californian 
pleads  in  an  eight-page  letter  for  his  active  interest  in  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  a  younger  brother,  a  Protestant,  living 

324 


LAST   ILLNESS   ANT>   DEATH 

in  New  York,  "who  is  going  through  a  heavy  strain  on 
mind  and  body."  A  French  teacher,  addressing  him  in 
French,  bewails  her  physical  ailments,  which  she  enumer- 
ates, and  entreats  his  help  in  obtaining  pupils. 

Another  post  brings  a  note  from  a  man  who  is  looking 
for  a  position  and  has  to  "get  a  letter  from  a  well-known 

priest  to  Mr.  ,  the  head  of  the  firm.     One  from  your 

reverence,  if  you  would  be  so  kind,  would,  I  think,  suit  the 
purpose.  Anxiously  awaiting  an  answer,  etc." 

This  is  followed  by  a  request  from  abroad  respecting  the 
"whereabouts  of  a  poor  friendless  woman,  who  may  have 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  unscrupulous  men  or  women  anxious 
to  possess  themselves  of  her  savings." 

A  pastor  in  a  rural  district  writes  in  the  interest  of  a 
l>enniless  and  homeless  woman  who  had  "lost  one  of  her 
limbs."  and  has  sought  in  vain  for  admission  to  a  city  hos- 
pital. Would  Father  Van  Rensselaer  use  his  kindly  influ- 
ence for  the  poor  unfortunate? 

Then  all  the  way  from  Tennessee  comes  an  odd  petition 
from  a  poor  fellow  whose  foot  had  been  cut  off  in  a  railroad 
accident,  that  Father  Van  Rensselaer  would  "see  the  St. 
Vincent  de  Paul  Society  in  regards  to  an  artificial  foot," 
and  then,  supposing  his  petition  is  granted,  would  "Father 
Van"  work  for  his  admission  into  some  religious  order 
"like  the  Trappists"  or  any  "Catholic  Order,"  for,  even  with 
a  cork  foot,  he  could  "cam  a  living  and  prove  a  useful 
meml>er  of  the  community." 

In  a  letter  written  in  French  from  Boulogne,  a  mother 
thanks  him  for  the  interest  taken  in  her  son.  "My  mind  is 
at  rest  since  I've  learned  that  Joseph  is  in  your  hands:  he, 
too,  tells  me  how  happy  he  is,  and  speaks  of  you,  mon  1  V-rc. 
in  all  his  letters." 

325 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

Then  one  whose  husband  has  ceased  to  support  her  en- 
treats him  for  a  letter  to  a  certain  wealthy  citizen,  that  he 
may  be  induced  to  lend  her  a  thousand  dollars  to  buy  at 
once  a  desirable  house  in  a  select  neighborhood. 

From  Chicago,  a  woman  writes  for  information  about 
two  students  at  the  College  twenty  years  ago,  and  inquires 
for  their  residence  at  that  time. 

A  member  of  the  Boston  Fire  Department  is  on  his  way 
to  New  York  and  wishes  to  introduce  to  his  old  friend 
"Father  Van"  another  fire  laddie  from  the  Hub,  a  convert. 

The  acting  Police  Commissioner  answers  an  application 
of  Father  Van  Rensselaer  for  the  reinstatement  of  a  patrol- 
man recently  dismissed. 

A  young  man  in  Buffalo,  who  signs  himself  "Your  affec- 
tionate son"  and  is  seemingly  a  convert  of  "Father  Van," 
congratulates  him  on  his  reported  recovery,  and  asks  the 
address  of  his  god-father. 

There  is  another  letter  from  a  young  Frenchman  seeking 
employment.  The  same  day  his  influence  is  solicited  to  get 
the  writer  a  position  in  a  printing  establishment  in  New 
York.  A  young  man  who  thinks  he  has  a  call  to  the  priest- 
hood seeks  an  appointment  to  talk  the  matter  over.  He 
hopes  that  Father  Van  Rensselaer  will  remember  him  as 
the  person  he  once  called  "Little  Jimmie." 

A  lawyer  expresses  the  hope  that  "we  may  soon  see  you 
home  again  listening  sympathetically  to  the  troubles  of  all 
New  York,"  and  endeavors  to  enlist  his  cooperation  in  a 
real  estate  deal.  "I  think  a  letter  from  you,"  he  says, 
"would  expedite  matters." 

And  so  the  correspondence  runs  on  and  on,  as  if  "Father 
Van"  were  synonymous  with  a  Bureau  of  Vital  Statistics, 
or  an  information  or  employment  agency.  But  the  initiated 

326 


LAST  ILLNESS   AND   DEATH 

know  that  he  was  but  a  zealous  priest  who  was  "all  things 
to  all  men  that  he  might  win  all  to  Christ." 

Nearly  two  months  passed  at  Auriesville,  and  on  the 
whole  the  patient  seemed  to  have  improved.  There  was 
certainly  no  indication  that  the  end  was  drawing  near.  He 
went  about  as  usual,  was  most  attentive  to  his  religious 
duties,  the  Mass,  the  divine  office,  the  daily  meditation,  the 
examination  of  conscience,  and  the  rest.  He  also  heard 
confessions,  preached  a  short  sermon  every  Sunday,  and 
gave  Holy  Communion  to  the  throngs  on  the  pilgrimages. 
One  day  towards  noon — it  was  the  20th  of  August — as  he 
was  reading  composedly  on  the  porch,  he  was  seized  with  a 
violent  spasm  and  would  have  fallen  forthwith  had  not  a 
companion  caught  him  as  he  collapsed.  Though  he  soon 
revived,  his  weakness  thereafter  assumed  a  more  serious 
aspect.  He  tried  not  to  lose  heart,  but  he  could  no  longer 
conceal  from  himself  the  gravity  of  the  situation.  A  week 
later  he  wrote  the  following  to  a  friend : 

"THE  SlIRINE,  AURIESVILLB, 

"August  28,  1907. 

"...  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  have  had  a  set-back. 
A  week  ago  I  had  another  attack.  It  was  induced  probably 
by  a  long  walk  of  seven  miles,  the  result  of  a  drive  and  a 
breakdown  of  the  wagon.  It  is  discouraging,  for  I  was  be- 
ginning to  consider  myself  on  the  cured  list.  I  have  had  a 
very  useless  existence  this  summer,  chiefly  vegetating. 
There  is  really  nothing  to  be  done  here  except  enjoy  the  fine 
scenery  and  air.  I  am  anxious  to  get  back  to  work.  .  .  . 
Give  my  love  to  all  the  family  and  ask  their  prayers. 
"Sincerely, 

"H.  VAN  REXSSELAER,  SI 
327 


LIFE  OF   HENRY   VAN   RENSSELAER 

On  the  same  day  he  wrote  to  the  Father  Provincial  for 
permission  to  return  to  New  York  and  take  up  again  his 
duties  in  the  parish,  thinking",  no  doubt,  that,  while  the  re- 
pose of  a  secluded  spot  in  the  country  could  not  effect  a 
permanent  cure,  he  might  as  well  fight  it  out  in  the  midst  of 
occupations  which  had  become  to  him  as  his  very  life.  The 
Provincial  wrote  back  encouragingly: 

"NEW  YORK, 

"August  30,  1907. 
"DEAR  FATHER  VAN  RENSSELAER: 

"P.  C. 

"I  received  yours  of  the  28th.  I  sympathize  with  you  on 
account  of  your  temporary  set-back;  I  cannot  think  of  it  as 
anything  but  temporary.  Be  not  discouraged.  The  doctor 
will  take  good  care  of  you,  and  I  only  ask  you  to  follow 
strictly  his  injunctions.  The  Lord  knows  best,  in  whose 
cause  we  are  spending  our  energy  and  our  life.  I  expect  to 
be  at  Auriesville  for  September  8th ;  shall  then  see  you  and 
talk  matters  over.  In  the  meantime  take  your  leisure  and 
do  not  worry  about  work  here.  I  am  not  forgetting  you  in 
my  prayers. 

"Devotedly  in  Christ, 

"JOSEPH  F.  HANSELMAN,  S.J." 

There  was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  await  the  coming  of 
the  Provincial.  So  sure  had  he  been  of  his  recall  to  New 
York  that  he  had  packed  his  valise  and  was  ready  to  start 
by  the  first  train.  He  tore  open  the  envelope  in  nervous 
haste,  read  the  letter  without  changing  countenance,  and 
looking  up  at  his  companion,  smiled  sweetly  and  said: 
I -"nt  her  Provincial  advises  me  to  wait."  He  took  the  ad- 

328 


"T? 


LAST    ILLNESS    AND    DEATH 

vice  with  as  much  composure  and  apparent  contentment  as 
if  he  had  been  expecting  to  remain.  The  habit  of  obedience, 
strengthened  by  thirty  years  of  unquestioning  submission, 
is  not  apt  to  be  ruffled  by  a  trifle. 

He  left  Auriesville  with  his  mind  made  up  to  prepare  for 
the  inevitable.  He  felt  that  the  hand  of  death  was  upon 
him.  On  the  last  day  at  the  Shrine,  a  friend  who  was  under 
the  impression  that  Father  Van  Rensselaer  had  already  left 
for  New  York,  entered  his  room  abruptly  and  found  him  on 
his  knees  in  rapt  prayer.  He  was  not  very  hopeful,  and  said 
that  he  believed  he  had  only  a  short  time  to  live.  The  sequel 
proved  that  he  was  right.  A  day  or  two  after  his  return  to 
\\-\\  York,  Dr.  Delafield,  his  brother-in-law,  called  on  him, 
and  that  distinguished  physician  saw  at  a  glance  the  terrible 
inroads -which  the  malady  had  made  in  a  few  short  weeks. 
He  must  go  to  the  hospital  at  once. 

It  may  be  said  that  Father  Van  Rensselaer's  last  moments 
were  in  keeping  with  the  whole  tenor  of  his  life.  During 
the  three  weeks  he  spent  in  St.  Vincent's  Hospital  he  was 
loath  to  be  treated  as  a  sick  man.  He  would  not  lie  down 
except  at  night,  nor  part  with  his  cassock,  which  he  wore 
constantly  in  preference  to  a  garb  which  would  be  more 
comfortable.  With  his  accustomed  fervor,  although  he 
could  hardly  make  his  way  to  the  chapel  unassisted,  he  of- 
fered the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  almost  to  the  very 
end,  and  clung  with  childlike  faith  to  his  beads  and  his 
crucifix.  Love  for  his  crucified  Lord  had  been  a  character- 
istic devotion  of  his  life,  and  a  love  which  through  all  the 
years  of  the  scholasticatc  led  him  to  make  the  Way  of  the 
Cross  daily,  was  necessarily  bound  up  with  a  tender  devo- 
tion to  the  Mother  of  the  Crucified. 

When  he  made  his  First  Communion  in  Paris,  his  - 

320 


LIFE   OF  HENRY   VAN    RENSSELAER 

Euphemia,  who  became  later  Sister  Dolores,  was  at  his  side 
and  received  Communion  with  him.  The  same  devoted 
sister  had  the  sad  consolation  of  ministering  to  him  through 
his  last  illness  and  of  remaining  with  him  to  the  end.  No 
more  touching  scene  could  be  witnessed  than  his  reception 
of  the  Holy  Viaticum.  He  lay  there  in  the  stillness  of  the 
early  morning,  quite  alone,  save  for  the  nurse,  Sister  Do- 
lores again,  and  the  Jesuit  who  brought  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment. Father  Van  Rensselaer  held  the  Communion  card 
unassisted,  and  when  the  Holy  Viaticum  had  been  adminis- 
tered to  him,  Sister  Dolores,  kneeling  by  his  side,  received 
Holy  Communion  too.  She  had  been  with  him  at  his  first 
Holy  Communion,  and  was  now  with  him  at  his  last.  The 
priest  left  them  alone  to  make  their  thanksgiving  together. 
The  day  before  he  died  he  had  a  convulsion  and  a  priest 
hurried  from  St.  Francis  Xavier's.  He  found  him  gasping 
for  breath  and  almost  black  in  the  face,  but  reading  his 
Breviary.  To  a  gentle  remonstrance  he  replied :  "Oh,  I 
must  finish  the  Office  for  the  day."  Later,  when  asked  how 
he  felt,  he  answered :  "Full  of  faith."  The  same  day,  after 
he  had  sunk  into  unconsciousness,  a  gentleman  came  and 
begged  to  see  him,  saying :  "I  have  known  him  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  and  have  been  his  penitent  for  twenty  years, 
ever  since  he  has  been  a  priest.  I  must  see  him  before  he 
dies."  At  first  his  request  was  refused,  but  he  insisted, 
saying:  "Heaven  is  open  to  receive  him,  and  you  should 
go  down  on  your  knees  and  thank  God  that  he  is  dying  a 
Jesuit."  Before  leaving  he  said  to  Sister  Dolores :  "There 
is  nothing  sad  about  a  death  like  that."  As  the  end  drew 
near,  a  fellow  Jesuit,  a  familiar  friend  of  his  for  nearly 
thirty  years,  whispered :  "And  so,  Father  Van,  you  are 
going  to  leave  us;  you  are  going  to  Heaven."  Unable  to 

330 


LAST   ILLNESS   AND   DEATH 

speak  he  nodded  and  smiled.  There  was  no  sorrow  in  his 
heart,  since  the  bitterness  of  the  chalice  he  was  about  to 
drain  was  sweetened  with  the  hope  of  a  blessed  immortality. 
With  St.  Paul,  he  could  truly  say :  "I  have  fought  the  good 
fight ;  I  have  finished  my  course ;  I  have  kept  the  faith.  As 
to  the  rest,  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  justice  which 
the  Lord,  the  just  judge,  will  render  to  me." 

He  expired  peacefully  on  the  3rd  of  October,  the  eve  of 
the  first  Friday.  His  remains  were  removed  to  the  church 
of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  where,  following  the  custom  of  the 
Society,  a  low  Mass  of  Requiem  was  said  on  Saturday 
morning  by  the  Provincial,  the  Rev.  Father  Hanselman. 
There  was  no  sermon  or  eulogy.  The  services  were  ren- 
dered more  than  usually  impressive  by  the  presence  of  His 
Grace,  the  Most  Rev.  John  M.  Farley,  accompanied  by  his 
three  vicars  general,  besides  several  other  monsignori  of  the 
Archdiocese  of  New  York  and  of  the  Diocese  of  Brooklyn, 
a  large  number  of  clergy,  secular  and  regular,  Christian 
Brothers  and  Sisters  of  Charity.  Fully  three  thousand  per- 
sons were  crowded  into  the  sacred  edifice.  The  Xavier  Club 
was  represented  by  nearly  its  entire  membership,  and  there 
were  large  delegations  from  the  New  York  Chapter  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus,  from  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hiber- 
nians, and  from  among  the  firemen,  policemen  and  letter- 
carriers  of  the  metropolis.  The  archbishop  gave  the  abso- 
lution after  the  Mass.  The  body  was  then  conveyed  to  St. 
John's.  Fordham.  and  laid  to  rest  hi  the  little  cemetery 
already  hallowed  by  the  dust  of  many  of  his  religious 
brethren. 


^705 
32. 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


Series  9482 


A    001  003  986    5 


